One Challenge and a Castle Full of Witches
by tyozzie123
Summary: When Prince Khelben announces his Selection, it's supposed to be an exciting day, but his brother Prince Evard brings that excitement to a screeching halt when he announces that he's challenging Khelben to the throne. No one had ever done so before the heir to the throne was actually ruling. With magic as their upcoming duel, love, hate and lies are revealed in a new risk Selection
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

This was it, the royal family was seated on the stage, ready for the _Report _to begin. Today Khelben was announcing his Selection. He was biting his nails while his brother, Evard watched lazily, silently judging him. Evard wouldn't dare start a fight on the day that Khelben was announcing the biggest deal of his life.

The cameras started rolling, and the host, Michale introduced the royal family, announcing Khelben had an important message. This was it. Khelben stood, straightening his suit, feeling his wand tucked into the inside of his jacket. It seemed to sense his distress, calling out that it was there to defend him. Silly wand, it was just an announcement.

Khelben took his spot at the podium, and took a deep breath, "People of Illea, I'm 21, so I'm afraid I'm already a little late, but I've finally decided it's time to host my own Selection! I hope to find a woman to love from now until the end of time. I want a love that knows no bounds, and can help the darkest day appear bright."

Khelben thought he heard a snort from his brother, but he didn't break composure, "Any woman aged 18 to 24 can submit a form, I'll eagerly await you, my love."

Khelben allowed a pause to let the audience digest the information, and was about to hand over the rest of the _Report _back to Michale, when he heard Evard move behind him, clearing his throat.

"I have an announcement of my own."

Both the cameras, and Khelben turned to look at Evard, smirking, his red hair perfectly curled as always. Khelben bit his lip, swallowing his anger. Of course Evard would ruin this moment. What could he possibly say now?

Evard stood off to Khelben's side, but held himself up, smiling faintly. "I challenge my brother Khelben Schreave to his claim of the throne."

Gasps erupted from the royal family, the stage hands, and Michale. Everyone looked around in confusion, and eventually the main camera-man cut the cameras, stopping the _Report. _No one knew what to say.

No royal sibling had ever challenged the heir to the throne before they'd even had the chance to rule. There was no rule against it; but no one had ever doubted they could follow their sibling's rule until proven otherwise.

Not Evard.

Khelben stared, wide eyed in outrage and confusion at his younger brother. Evard had no reaction, his face was unreadable, but he looked to his brother. Khelben felt his face heat up.

"What the hell? You know that's not how that works! You only get one challenge!" Khelben said, his voice rising. Though from fear, or anger, Khelben couldn't tell.

"I know; I'm using it now. I know what I'm doing." Evard replied, glaring at his older brother. "Lord knows this country would fall apart if you ruled it."

"And you think you could do better? It's not that easy." Khelben scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I think I can do better than you, at any rate. At least I-"

"That's enough." Their father's voice broke into the argument, and Evard clamped his mouth shut.

King Alodar walked over, his wife Iris beside him. Her red curls fell around her, and seemed to have a mind of their own as she glanced over her boys. "Evard?" She didn't need to use more words, he understood her just fine.

Evard looked to her, "You know what I want, Mother. I can't let him have the throne. Better to stop him now than let the country suffer even a month into his rule."

Khelben felt his face heat up again, and he itched to draw his wand, casting a stunning spell at his brother, but he restrained himself. "Father, can he do this?" Khelben asked, turning to the king, whose dark brown hair matched Khelben's.

Alodar grimaced, "I'm afraid so; there's not a rule against it. He just needs to pick a challenge, a date, and the winner will be the next king."

Khelben looked away angrily, how could this happen to him? How could it happen today? Was this all part of that rat's little plan? Khelben glared at Evard. He was rather clever and sneaky, maybe he just wanted the publicity.

"We're still holding the Selection, right?" Khelben asked, suddenly feeling hopeful. If he could get married quickly, then he might become king before his brother could challenge him. Then, at least he'd have held the title, and would have the support of the people. He was already Illea's golden child.

King Alodar nodded, "Indeed."

Evard's eyes widened slightly, but he only nodded, "Seems only fair." He glanced to Khelben, and he could practically see Evard's mind working to solve this problem. Eventually a small smirk appeared on his face, and it only worried Khelben more.

King Alodar sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "This is not how I thought this would go."

Khelben almost snorted, "You're telling me, I wasn't expecting to be challenged on the day I announced my Selection."

Evard smiled to himself, "I am curious though, brother, to see how many Light Magic Witches you recieve in this Selection. But infinitely more curious as to how many Dark Magic Witches."

Khelben felt his blood run cold. He hadn't considered Dark Magic Witches might apply to his Selection. He didn't want to admit he was scared of Dark Magic, it was fascinating, but dangerous. Many people became corrupt and evil with even the smallest taste of it. What would happen if he got a woman well versed in it? Would he even know it? Could she use her wicked magic to win? Khelben shook his head, knowing his brother was just trying to mess with him.

"It doesn't matter, I'm looking for love that knows no bounds, remember?" Khelben replied.

Evard looked to him, and Khelben felt he could read right through his lie. Evard hummed in thought, "I suppose."

King Alodar groaned, "Okay, you two, back to your rooms. I think you've both had your excitement for the day."

The brothers shared another spiteful glance, then nodded to their father before heading back into the rest of the castle. Evard was quiet as usual, and somehow Khelben found it even more irritating after what happened.

Khelben sighed, then spoke, each word dripping poison aimed for his brother, "You seriously had to do that?"

Evard didn't even look at him as he replied, "If not now, when? After you've ruined Illea?"

"You keep saying I'd ruin Illea, you don't know that!"

"But I know you." His brother snapped, turning to glare at Khelben. "You are not worthy of sitting on that throne."

Evard quickly walked off, not allowing Khelben to defend himself with his own argument. _I'm not worthy? I'm not worthy? _Khelben scowled, "I'll show you just how worthy I am to hold the throne. At least you've wasted your challenge now."

* * *

**Okay, so this is something I actually got inspiration for really recently. I've been wanting to do something with magic for a while, or at least delve into another 'world', and while it's Illea, it's a world of magic. Light and Dark, and you can find all of that information on my profile. You can find world building stuff with provinces and the idea of the 'challenge' on my profile as well. I know what you're thinking...yes, you can also find the form for this SYOC on my profile! I'm really excited to take on this new story! Don't worry, I'll still write HWC and eventually HSC. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Evard sat in his room, flipping through books of Dark Magic subjects. The easiest to learn were curses, by far the most difficult was Necromancy. Evard found it hard to focus his energy enough to get anywhere. He scowled, and slammed the book shut. His fingers tapped on the cover of the book. _Tap, tip, tippity tap. _

Evard sighed and stood, cracking his back. He'd been studying for hours. That's all he's been doing lately. Ever since he'd challenged Khelben almost everyone had been giving him the cold shoulder. The staff walked on egg-shells around him, his father and brother didn't spare him a glance; his mother seemed to be the only one showing him the same kindness as always.

Evard didn't understand why everyone seemed to think he was the bad guy. He was trying to save Illea from total ruin. Khelben may be the perfect child in the country's eyes, but Evard knew what he was like. If he was given the throne, Khelben would ruin the nation before his 22nd birthday.

Evard's thoughts turned to the upcoming Selection. Plans were being made, forms were flowing in, and women all over wanted to compete to be Khelben's wife. Evard scoffed, at least if some Dark Witches got picked, he might learn a thing or two about that branch of magic from them. Khelben was scared of Dark Magic, but Evard was curious. It didn't help the dark branch that everyone was uneducated and scared of it. It was actually quite fascinating. Their father was equally scared of Dark Magic, and Evard believed the key to understanding Illea as a whole, was understanding magic as a whole. Plus, having a few spells Khelben didn't know would be helpful in their duel.

Evard turned, and left his room, thinking more on what day he should make their duel. Should he wait until Khelben is at the end of his Selection? Maybe the Selection will help bring to light Khelben's true nature….Then he would have the support of the people, and possibly even the Selected themselves.

Evard walked down the hall, holding himself tall. You never know who you're going to run into in the halls of the palace. Evard walked passed his mother's room, and stopped. A wave of calm hit him, and he knew his mother was in there. He turned to the door, and knocked.

"Come in, Dear."

Evard pushed open the door, and smiled as he saw his mother. She was sitting at her desk, writing something. She was wearing a flowing white dress and her red hair was loose, moving around her as if she were floating in water. Evard could smell a mix of lavender and jasmine, and his mother's chamomile tea. The scents may not mix well for others, but somehow his mother knew just what smells to make emit from her candles whenever he walked in. Evard had always found her magic fascinating. She was something special. She was technically classified under 'Healing Magic', but her magic was focused on healing of nerves and anxiety. Iris had wanted to be a psychologist before she married Alodar, but now she used her magic to help calm her high-strung family and the stress of royal life. She had crystals, candles, perfumes, blankets, and of course, her own calming aura to help with this.

Evard sighed as he walked in, pulling up a chair to sit beside his mother, "Mother."

Iris smiled at her son, "My dear, what's the matter? I could sense your troubles from down the hall. I had you stop studying and come see me."

Evard chuckled, of course she'd made him stop his studying spree. "You know what's the matter."

Iris's eyes turned sad, "Evard…"

"What? I can't just let him take the throne! You know what he can be like, and it's only getting worse. Someone needs to take him down a peg or ten."

Iris closed a journal, and turned to Evard, taking his hands in hers, "I don't care that you challenged him, but don't do this just to spite him. Do it for the good of Illea."

Evard was about to make a rebuttal, but she continued, her aura shushing him like a lullaby, "You know that you only get one chance. One chance to make this right, and you had better be careful about it."

Evard sighed, slumping, "I know, Mom. I just- I have to do this, by any means. It's for the good of Illea."

Iris searched Evard's eyes, and after a moment, sighed, and kissed his forehead. "I know, Dear."

Evard kissed his mother's cheek, and stood, "I'll talk to you later, I'm going to grab a snack."

Evard left, and immediately felt his sense of relaxation fade away as her aura grew dimmer, releasing its hold on him. He shook his head, and made his way to the kitchen, and asked the chef for stuffed cucumber snacks. 15 minutes later, Evard was munching away, when a maid came downstairs. She handed him a letter, and scurried away, not making eye contact. Tilting his head, Evard opened the letter carefully, choosing to ignore the fear the maid had briefly displayed. Upon seeing the hand-writing and that ever-familiar smell however, Evard got a little excited. The first few sentences though made him scowl.

"_Evard, what on earth are you thinking? Challenging Khelben like that? You know what the throne means to him_-" It continued, but Evard crumpled up the letter, no matter how much he missed the sender.

Evard sighed, and pushed aside the rest of his snack; he wasn't in the mood to eat anymore. He stood from the stool at the counter, and left the kitchen. "Juniso," Evard muttered and a small, brown, black and white rabbit appeared on the ground beside Evard.

"Hello, Terrain, sorry to disturb you so late, but I really could use some comfort from non-people." Evard said, smiling at the small rabbit, stooping to pick him up. The rabbit sniffled, and hopped into his arms.

Evard walked down the hall slowly, tracing his eyes over patterns he saw on the marble floor below his feet. Evard's hand absentmindedly stroked the rabbit's soft fur, and the rabbit leaned into it. Evard found his way back to his room, and opened the door, shutting it behind him with a kick, setting Terrain on the bed. Evard climbed onto the bed, laying on his stomach as he watched Terrain hop around, losing his balance sometimes on the big, soft blankets. The rabbit snuffed around, his whiskers twitching, and Evard smiled softly.

"Oh, Terrain, how am I going to be able to do this? The people hate me because they think I'm just after the throne, my brother hates me, mother is the only one I can talk to. I'm studying and studying, but seem to be getting nowhere new with Dark Magic. I have about mastered wandless protection spells though, that's a good step."

Terrain stopped hopping around, and stared at Evard. As a familiar, Evard knew it could understand him, but they couldn't talk back. At times like these, Evard wished they could. Unfortunately Evard also knew the ability to talk to animals was very rare, only about one in a generation.

Terrain hopped over to Evard, and snuggled up against his face. Evard sighed, and breathed in Terrain's smell. It wasn't like an actual rabbit, he smelled of raspberries almost. Evard suspected the Familiar World had homes for familiars, and Terrain's smelled of this. Evard smiled as he remembered the first time Terrain appeared.

He had been 8, and it was after Khelben had stolen Evard's favorite stuffed bear. Evard had never found that bear, but Terrain had appeared, and ever since then, Evard had found that a rabbit that could move, and come whenever he wanted without fear of Khelben getting to him, was much better than a stuffed bear. Terrain was more of an emotional support animal than a familiar, but Evard knew that if he ever needed magical help from Terrain, he could easily get it.

Evard sighed, Terrain might find himself being summoned more and more for help as the time for Evard's duel with Khelben comes closer and closer. It was only a matter of time, but Evard was going to make sure he was prepared when that time did come.

* * *

**Hello everyone! Chapter 2 of OCCW wow. Thank you all so much for the support I've already gotten! If you haven't reserved a spot, or still need to fill out your form, you have probably until the end of January unless you talk to me about specifically extending it for your situation. I've gotten so many great characters already! I can't wait to write them! I hope you enjoy, let me know what you thought! Is Evard really that bad? Is Khelben going to shed some new darkness on them both? Is Evard just being dramatic? We'll have to wait and see….**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Khelben sat on his bed, looking at the files of his Selected. The whole process had moved quite quickly, and he honestly didn't even remember drawing their names. It hadn't been a large ceremony or anything. They didn't air it, because they didn't need Evard making a scene again; it was just a simple back-room drawing. So many girls, witches that were hoping to have their lives changed just as he was.

As Khelben read through the forms, he was distrubed by quite a few witches being described as 'born with dark magic'. They didn't seem like bad people, but he was still a little worried about their magic. What if they turned bad, or used their magic to manipulate everything? No; he had to give them the benefit of the doubt at least.

Pictures were included in the forms, and he was surprised by how pretty all of the Selected were. There were no supermodel, drop dead gorgeous girls, but they were all very beautiful. He smiled as he went through them. He was always told to never judge a book by its cover, but come on, even he knew looks had a big factor on if someone even decided to talk to another person.

For the most part he was very happy with his choices. There were one or two that sounded like they were a bit boring, no hobbies, no job, no activities; they'd be eliminated first. As for the rest, he'd wait and see. Khelben stood, stretched, and decided to visit his mother to see if she had anything she could give him to ease his aching back muscles. Being crouched on the bed wasn't the best choice looking back on the entire afternoon.

He knocked on his mother's door, and opened it, stepping in. His mother was meditating, that was no surprise. "Khelben, what can I do for you, my darling?"

Khelben couldn't help but relax as soon as he took a step inside. It smelled like citrus, honey and eucalyptus oil. Khelben wondered how she knew what scent calmed each person most, but he didn't mind. "I was wondering if you had something to relax my back, I was sitting funny for a while."

Iris opened one eye, and scanned her son carefully. She nodded, and stood, her dress flowing behind her. Her hair drifted along, but seemed to explore in a radius around her. She went to her cabinet, and opened a drawer, pulling out a small vial of oil. She moved around Khelben, and he lifted his shirt slightly to let her apply the oil.

It felt warm, and smelled like peppermint, but he knew it was more than that. She quietly said, "That should be good." So he lowered his shirt, and turned to face her.

"Thanks….how are you, Mom?"

"How am I?" She paused, staring off to the side, then looked back to him, "Fine, how are you? You smell the candles, so something must be bothering you."

Khelben was surprised she could tell, but then again, sensing aura and stress in someone was like his mother's specialty. He shrugged, "I'm just worried about the Selection."

Iris tilted her head, studying her son carefully. She shook her head, "No, you're worried about Evard. What he'll do to you and your Selection."

Khelben tried to cover her accurate point with a scoff, "Why would I be worried about him?"

"You tell me." She said sharply.

Khelben was taken aback by her sudden cornering. She wouldn't let him get away without telling her first. He sighed, "I- Okay so I'm a little worried he'll try and make this Selection a living hell for me. Or turn my Selected against me. Or steal them away."

Iris was silent for a moment, and Khelben wished he had the powers she had to sense what she was thinking. She tilted her head again, and said, "The only person who can turn the Selected against you, is yourself. If you give them no reason to turn against you, they won't."

Khelben was surprised by this, and a little offended, "What reason have I got to turn them against me?"

"Fear. Fear will drive them away, you're afraid they'll find something they don't like, so you'll give them something they won't." Iris replied, going back to her seat, and crossing her legs. She closed her eyes, "Don't let your fear ruin your life."

Khelben didn't even know what to say at this point. He'd come here for comfort, and instead he was faced with more inner demons and doubts. He hadn't been that afraid had he? Was he still afraid? What about him could possibly drive the Selected away?

Well, he did have his flaws, but nothing too terrible, right? Not enough to scare off 35 girls, hopefully. After all, these girls would have flaws too, and he would have to make sure he didn't get turned away by them. He would give them the benefit of the doubt, if they gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Khelben sighed, and decided to go to the kitchen. The chefs were preparing dinner, but Khelben grabbed a platter of cheese and crackers, and left just as quickly as he'd arrived. He started snacking as he walked down the halls. Eventually he got tired of carrying the platter, and muttered a levitation spell, so it floated down the hall next to him.

He arrived back in his room, and he went to his desk. He allowed the platter to set down, where he saw a small envelope. He smiled, and picked it up. It smelled of peppermint and geraniums, and he knew Elaine had sent it.

Elaine had been informed that she was Selected earlier that day, and this must be the reply. He'd known Elaine since they were little, though they hadn't seen each other face to face in years. If he could say so, Elaine had grown quite beautiful since the last time they saw each other. Her mother had been one of the royal tutors when Khelben was about 12, but as his knowledge grew, and more media turned to Khelben's future Selection, her mother was fired so Elaine couldn't live in the castle anymore.

Khelben opened the letter, and sure enough, it was a reply from Elaine about her status as a Selected.

_Dear Khelben, _

_I'm so excited to have been Selected! Did you choose me on purpose? Haha, I'm joking. Kind of. Anyways, does Evard know? I sent him a letter not long ago, but he didn't reply. It's not like him; especially since he challenged you….but I guess you don't want to talk about that. I'm so excited to see you again, it's been far too long, and now we have a real reason to spend time together. Hopefully it'll be just like old times! Reply soon, your friend, Elaine. _

Khelben smiled, Elaine was always so sweet. He'd definitely like having her kindness around the Selection. He missed her, and if he could have even one friend throughout it, it would make this whole thing so much easier. Lord knows him and Evard wouldn't be friends for a while, if ever again. At least Elaine seemed to be on his side. Team Khelben - 1, Team Evard- 0.

* * *

**Hello everyone! Chapter 3 of OCCW! Whoooo! I'm so excited! Hopefully after this I can start diving into submitted characters. I'm excited to get this story going since I'm almost done with HWC. Now, submissions are closed. I'm still waiting on a few forms, but the girls on my profile and on the pinterest are pretty much it. See you in the next chapter~! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**Delmira "Mira" ******Kessler, Hudson****

Mira smiled to herself as the elevator doors dinged open. This would be her last day at the office before leaving for the Selection, and she couldn't help but be smug about it. The girls were jealous, and the boys were seething. But most importantly, Mira would have the most brilliant news story of the decade since she would have the inside scoop on everything Selected; well, more importantly, everything on _The Challenge_. She'd already decided she'd need to cooperate with both brothers if she were to get the full story, she was dying to know why Evard thought his brother so incapable so quickly.

She walked down the halls to her boss's office. Mr. Carson was the head editor, and she walked into his office, head held high. She may be only 5'3", but for the sake of all things magical she was going to make sure people knew she was the best, she needed to act like she was a giant in a world of humans. She set a file on his desk, and smiled.

"Today's my last day before I leave. Here's my final draft of the Honduragua stories. I expect my pay to go straight to my account." Mira stated, leaving him no room to reject anything she'd said.

Mr. Carson sighed, picking up the file, and moving it aside for later viewing. "Mira, come-"

"I've been Selected, now, you can hold my spot and I'll bring you back the best story this paper company has ever seen, or I can find somewhere new to take my story, and climb the ranks there. I'll be a competitor, and you can't afford that. So, if I don't win the Selection, I fully expect to come back." Mira cut him off, crossing her arms.

She supposed she could use her magic on him, but she didn't think he needed too much convincing. She was their best journalist, and they needed her here, Selected or not. She flipped her hair, smiling sweetly, "Come on, you know it. I'll find out what I can, and if it's a good story- which it will be- I'll make this company a fortune!"

Mr. Carson sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I know, but….Mira, keeping you on while you're Selected, what if the royals think we're spying?"

Mira snorted, "What do they care? The Selection is already the most widely publicized deal in all of Illea."

Mr. Carson shook his head, "You certainly are the most ambitious journalist we've ever had, I can tell you that."

Mira grinned, "So...I'll have my job after this."

Mr. Carson nodded, "Yes, just make it worth my time, and for the love of magic please make it worth the pay."

Mira smiled sweetly, "Don't I always?"

* * *

Mira left the office, and headed home. Her dogs greeted her immediately, barking happily, and giving her plenty of slobbery kisses. Sayen and Kuruk were the sweetest, though Kuruk was often cautious around others, being an old military dog and what not. But he was such a sweet baby around Mira.

She filled their food bowls, and plopped onto the couch, pulling out a phone, and dialing up her friend Juno. It only took 2 rings for her to answer. "Juno, hey!"

Juno's voice rang through the other end, "Hey! I was wondering if you'd call before you left for the Selection. I know they won't allow outside technology, so from here on out it'll have to be letters."

"I know, it's annoying, but then again, we're one of the only ones in the city with phones, so…."

Juno laughed, "True, we can afford it, but honestly, people should be looking into these phones, it's so much easier than letters and face to face meetings."

Mira nodded, though Juno couldn't see, "Exactly! I guess we'll have to adapt for a while."

Juno spoke again, "Yes, well, anyway, are you excited?"

Mira shrugged, humming, "I suppose, though I'm not interested in all this romance stuff. It's all for the business, you know?"

Juno asked, "Well, how far do you think you'll make it without charming the prince?"

Mira scoffed, "Juno, I'm wounded, I'm still going to charm him. I need to stick around to get the whole story. I'll bat my eyes, flip my hair, drag my fingers lightly across my collarbone, that should be flirty enough to make it through the first few eliminations. After that I'll need to start pretending I'm actually invested, or I could always plant the thoughts in his head."

Juno sighed, "Mira, you know it didn't end well before-"

"Yes I know." Mira snapped, "But if I don't get caught, what harm is a few fond memories of me to distract him when I'm gathering the scoop for my paper?"

Juno was silent for a moment on the other end, but said, "Okay, but just don't get in trouble."

Mira laughed, "But trouble can be so much fun!"

* * *

**Catalina "Cat" Cabiurne, Midston**

Cat wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead, stirring the small cauldron. Thinking back on it she should have made a bigger batch, but this would do for now. Her hair was clipped up, but strands were starting to fall loose. She tried to blow them away, as she added a clipping of wartroot to the potion. She looked over her shoulder at her apprentice and close friend Song Vlawen, she sighed.

"Did you get that Amethyst and Dark Quartz into the portal yet? Governor Mison's wife is sick, and she needs those crystals."

"Oh no, not yet. I was helping Mrs. Cartz with her gnome problem. I'll get right on it." Song replied, quickly running for the other side of the shop to gather the crystals.

Cat shook her head, sometimes he could be so flighty, but he had the heart, and that's what mattered. She looked into the cauldron, that ought to do it. She took out her wand, and chanted a few words over it, then put her wand grabbed a few bottles, and began to fill them up. After she was done she wiped her hands on her apron, nodding reassuringly to herself.

That was going to be her last batch before she left the store in the charge of Song. She knew he could do it. He loved the shop possibly more than Cat did, though that was very hard. Besides, he would have Puck there to help him run things.

The bell to the shop's door dinged, and she looked up, smiling, "Lieutenant Davis! Welcome, what can I get for you?"

The policeman smiled, "Hey, Cat, I was wondering if you had any shield potion? We're running low, and I'd rather have a bunch more small shields than a few big shields."

Cat nodded, "I just finished a batch. How many bottles?"

Lieutenant Davis thought for a moment, "11, please."

Cat turned to the giant wall of shelves behind her, grabbing bottle after bottle of her new brew. She stood on her tiptoes to reach the last bottle he needed, and turned back around. "Here you go, Lieutenant."

Davis smiled and tipped his hat, "Thank you, is Puck running the register?"

"Not today," Cat shook her head, smirking, "He's stocking the herbs."

Davis nodded, "Ah, okay, well, I'll leave you then." He turned away, then turned back, "Oh! Good luck at the Selection!"

Cat smiled, chuckling, "Thanks!"

The lieutenant left, and she sighed. People were congratulating her on being picked for the Selection, but she didn't really want to win over any princes. She thought it would be a break from the store, and an excellent producer of wisp of luck, and it was sure to be the center of a magical whirlwind. Something amazing had to happen with so much magic in one place, right?

After all, if she was able to research magic at the palace, perhaps she could have new products at her store afterwards. It would certainly boost sales to be in the Selection, but discovering a new magic item or spell, or charm would certainly make her business boom. And what better way to leave behind a legacy than to discover a new magical substance?

Cat took off her apron, and let her hair down. Now that she was done brewing for the day, she could help stock shelves with Puck. She grabbed a box of clover, and headed towards the back of the store. Puck was there, humming to himself as he stocked different herbs.

"Hey, Puck," Cat said in way of greeting.

Puck turned, and nodded, "Heyo, did you finish all your brewing?"

Cat nodded, "Yeah, for now. Song can pick it up when you start running low. Just make sure he pronounces all his spells correctly. He gets the large shield spell pronunciation mixed up with the small explosive pronunciation; and those are two different things." She chuckled, shaking her head.

Puck snorted, "Okay, I'll try, but it's not like I can fix it if he messes up."

Cat hummed, nodding. Puck was a non-magic, but he'd come to Cat for a job, and she was able to provide him with work. He always said how much he loved working here, but Cat still felt bad that his options were so limited. She didn't understand why the world hated non-magics. It was almost worse to have no magic than dark magic. How? She sighed, of course she didn't care about any of that, she was just as curious about everything equally. She knew people were people.

"Soooo" Cat began, smirking already, "Lieutenant Davis was here today."

Puck froze, paling, then flushing, but he quickly began stocking again to distract from the blush creeping up his neck. "O-oh?" He asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Cat laughed, "Come on, Puck, why don't you just ask him out already?"

Puck stared at her, wide eyed, "Are you insane? I can't!"

Cat tilted her head, "Why not?"

"Well...he's a policeman, a _magic_ policeman."

Cat scoffed, "Puck, if he cared about that he wouldn't be asking to see you every time he walked into this shop. I'm sure he likes you."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Maybe, but since when are you a good judge of romance?"

Cat stuck her tongue out at him, and quickly stocked the last of her herbs. She turned to Puck, "Just think about it." She walked away, leaving Puck to mull over their conversation.

She hoped he would ask out Lieutenant Davis, they would make a very cute couple. Besides, it wasn't every day that Puck had a crush, and she knew it's been going on for a while. She sighed, and sat down behind a counter. A ball of smoke appeared, and out stepped Smokey, Cat's familiar. She was a dark grey cat with the most striking eyes, and quite the serious personality. It was surprising to see her arrive on her own.

"Hello, what are you doing here?" Cat asked, stroking Smokey's head.

The cat recoiled under the touch, and stared at a nearby cauldron, Cat sighed, "No, Smokey I already finished." The cat looked at her, seeming to glare. "Last I checked you hate when I make you come for no reason."

The cat's tail flicked impatiently, and it hopped down off the counter to go investigate the rest of the shop. Smokey liked to make sure things were in order, as though it were her shop rather than Cat's. Cat shook her head fondly, and looked out of the window across from her. Boy, would Smokey be outraged when she found out they were going to be living in a castle for a while.

* * *

**Lilura Maddox, Whites**

Lilura sighed as her customer stormed out. Yet another person not ready to hear her tell them about their future. They expected her just to do some silly card trick with the tarot cards and give them good news. But it didn't work like that, it hardly ever worked like that. Lilura bent down to try and pick up the candlestick they'd knocked over, but Silvie beat her to it. She smiled, and patted the fox's head. He was often the oen to be her eyes, since hers were solely pointed towards the future. When people asked, Lilura said she was blind, but it was more like her eyes were always seeing a movie of clips from the future.

Lilura stood, and made her way to the entrance of her little "cave". It was just a small, sheltered area in the corner of her aunt's shop where she offered tarot cards. Lilura's aunt Ellandra walked over, the click of her shoes familiar on the old wooden floor.

"I see they weren't happy…."

"Yeah, they never are." Lilura replied, walking past her aunt. Silvie trotted in front, his nails clicking to indicate that the path was clear.

"Lilura, you know what we talked about. Sometimes you have to sugar coat things…."

"But actually lying? If the cards say that they're going to suffer a paycut I can't willingly tell them they're getting a raise." Lilura refuted, taking a seat in a large armchair.

"Come on, it's only for half a day! Soon you'll be at the palace, and you won't have to worry about pleasing any customers." Ellandra replied, trying to reassure her niece.

Lilura frowned, "But what if they find out I'm a Seer? They might expect me to see their future. Then what? They'll get mad because I can't pick and choose, and besides, even for me it's blurry."

Lilura could practically feel the frown on her aunt's face as she said, "Lilura, dear, you have to understand, you've got a gift. A gift our family takes great pride in. I know you enjoy the gift, but others may not see it as a gift. You have to be patient with them."

Lilura sighed, she knew her aunt was right. But it was still frustrating. Hopefully she'd make friends in the Selection, and not enemies. If they could understand her, then all the better. But unless she told them, it was unlikely anyone would ever find out. She stood, and kissed her aunt on the cheek. "I'm going home, thanks Aunt Ellandra."

* * *

Lilura made her way back to Maddox Manor, and immediately heard Agatha's chanting. It smelled like she was almost done brewing something, and Lilura smiled. She walked around the house, following the scent. It smelled good, and Lilura wondered what she was brewing.

Lilura found Agatha's bedroom, and knocked, before walking in. "Agatha? What are you making? It doesn't smell like any of your regular brews."

Agatha stopped chanting, "Oh, Lilura you're back! I was just making a little something for you."

Lilura tilted her head, "For me?" She stepped forward, sniffing slightly. It smelled like chocolate. Her brow knit together, and she hummed. "What is it?"

Lilura sensed Agatha's bright, but mischievous smile, "A _love _potion."

Lilura gasped, "Agatha no! I can't possibly use it."

Agatha sighed, "Oh come on, you think the Selection's real anyway? What harm can a fun little love potion do? Don't worry, it's not permanent, it only lasts 24 hours, but it should make the others jealous of you and the prince when you use it."

Lilura shook her head, "No! What if I get caught with it? They could kick me out, or worse! Or what if it falls into the wrong hands?" She was starting to grow upset with her cousin.

"Ohh, please Lilura? For me? Just take it, hide it, you don't have to use it. But at least take it to the Selection." Agatha pleaded, gently touching Lilura's hand.

Lilura heard Silvie come in, and stand next to her. Lilura looked down towards the little fox, and she sighed, "You think this is a bad idea, huh?" Lilura sighed as she thought the little fox confirmed it. "I don't know-"

"Lilura, I will never ask for anything again, but please!"

Lilura knew that was a lie. Agatha would be asking for a favor again as soon as she could, but Lilura could tell she was anxious for her to take it. "Fine, okay, but I'm not using it."

Agatha clapped happily, and finished brewing the love potion, pouring it into a small vial, pressing it into Lilura's hand. "Oh, thank you, thank you! I promise, you won't regret it."

Lilura sighed, she'd better not regret it, or she wouldn't forgive Agatha easily. Lilura made to walk from the room, when her vision was suddenly overtaken by one scene playing out. She stopped in her tracks, and almost fell over from the shock of it.

_A sword flashing, magic wands breaking, blood splattering a floor. Animals running, screams, gasps. The vial of love potion, a delicate hand pouring it into a goblet. A dead animal, though it was hard to make out. A shining palace with dark corners, creaky staircases no one's used in centuries, a fire raging, a broken window. _

The vision disappeared, and she shuddered. Agatha was holding Lilura up. Agatha was calling Lilura's name, and Lilura nodded, "I-I'm okay now."

Agatha's voice was laced with worry, "What was that?"

Lilura shook her head, "A vision that demanded my attention…"

"What was it about?" Agatha asked.

Lilura hummed, "I- I think the Selection. _A war waging, not just of the hearts, broken minds and lives, never the same_."

Agatha was silent for a while, "Are you still going to go?" She asked quietly.

Lilura nodded, "Yes, after all, someone needs to be there to warn the others."

"But how are you going to warn them?"

Lilura sighed, "I guess I'll have to try somehow. I can't tell them, I can't guarantee I'm right, but I know it won't end the way everyone thinks." She expected this to be an interesting time, but not a dangerous one….

* * *

**Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Here's our first 3 Selected! Mira, Cat, and Lilura. They each have their own little quirks and I love them. All of the forms are in! Which means we can get this story rolling! Whoo! I'm curious to see what you guys make of Lilura's vision, hehe, feel free to leave a theory or three, or just yell at me in the reivews LOL**

**See you all in the next chapter~~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

**Cresselia "Selia" Lovelace, Waverly**

Selia boarded the plane, her chocolate hair- today dyed with pink tips to match her pink jean jacket- falling over her shoulders as she set her bag on a seat. She looked around, smiling, she was certainly excited to be heading to the Selection. This was a fabulous chance to find love, or to help the princes find love at least.

She was told by an attendant to find her seat, as they'd be headed to the next stop to pick up a Selected soon. She happily sat, and glanced out of the window. Soon they were soaring above the clouds, they seemed to be giant clumps of cotton candy floating around in greys, oranges, pinks. Before she knew it, they were landing in Allens. She stood as soon as she could, eager to greet the next Selected.

The door dropped down, and a blonde haired girl walked on, eyes locking on Selia. The girl seemed to study her for a moment, before humming. "I'm Maria, Maria Fierro."

Selia smiled in greeting, holding out a hand, "Cresselia Lovelace, but you can call me Selia."

Maria stared at Selia's hand, and then reluctantly shook it, "So, how many more girls are we picking up?"

Selia shrugged, "One, maybe two more. So, what do you do, Maria?"

Maria raised a brow as she plopped into a seat, "I'm in college, studying plants and invisibility."

Selia gasped, "You can turn invisible?! That's so cool! Can you show me?" She grinned, leaning towards Maria.

Maria leaned away, "No." She simply said, crossing her arms, and staring out of the window. The plane started moving, and Selia sat back.

"Oh, I get it, it's probably hard."

"No, it's not hard. I just don't do it for strangers." Maria replied.

Selia bit her lip, "Well, we don't have to be strangers-"

"Look." Maria cut her off, "You're not exactly the type of person I associate with" glancing from Selia's expectant face, to the pink she's wearing so readily, "So, I appreciate the effort, but no thanks."

Selia glanced at Maria's leather jacket, moderately revealing shirt, and tight pants. Already their style choices were quite different, but she didn't see why that would determine their friendship compatibility. Maybe Maria was just a pessimist introvert. Selia knew plenty of introverts, but if Maria insisted, she couldn't exactly force a friendship.

Selia's smile splintered, "Okay, well, your string is certainly leading to somewhere far away."

Maria turned to her, eyes demanding, but curious, "What?"

"Your string of fate. The one that leads you to your soulmate." Selia clarified, "It's not near here, so, hopefully we're headed in the right direction."

Maria slowly looked down to herself, then shook her head, looking out of the window. Selia knew it was true though, the small red string on Maria's pinky finger was headed West, as were they. Maybe her soulmate rested at the palace? Or maybe this would lead her to her soulmate after. Who knew? She could only see the strings, they gave her no more clues than that. The only string she couldn't see was her own….

* * *

After arriving in Carolina, the door opened, and a dark haired girl, with tan skin board the plane. Her hands and wrists were covered in tattoos, words, and shapes. From the spin the girl gave the cabin, she appeared to have her neck and shoulders tattooed as well. She was wearing ripped jeans, combat boots, and a lace, black crop top, under a low-collared leather jacket.

She turned to face Selia and Maria, glancing at the both of them. Selia shrank back under the gaze, she seemed quite intimidating, but Maria sat up, offering a hand.

"Maria Fierro." So these are the types of people Maria hangs out with. The girl shook Maria's hand.

"Nazca Marcetta", the girl stated, then turned to Selia. "And your name?"

Selia glanced between Maria and Nazca, she was definitely the outcast here. After a moment, Nazca spoke, "Come on, I don't bite, usually." Selia's eyes widened, but she held out her hand.

"Cresselia Lovelace, but you can call me Selia."

Nazca smiled, "That's a pretty name."

"Thanks," Selia offered a smile, and Nazca sat in the row in front of them, turning to talk to them.

Maria spoke first, "So, Nazca, what do you do?"

"I'm a tarot reader." Nazca replied.

Maria's eyes widened, "You have dark magic?" She asked, Selia heard the excitement in her voice. Selia herself was quite nervous around dark magic, afterall, its aura, and the stories she's heard make it seem quite horrible. Clearly Maria didn't have the same worries.

Nazca nodded uneasily, "Yeah, but you guys are cool, right?"

Maria nodded, grinning still, "I find dark magic fascinating, but I have light magic. In fact….I have a business proposition I'd like to speak to you about…." Maria stood, and sat next to Nazca, leaving Selia to her own thoughts.

Selia sighed, looking out the window. They'd taken off again, and at this point Selia just wanted to get to the castle. She was already tired of not fitting in with these girls. Nazca seemed nicer than Maria, but she doubted if either would talk to her again once they arrived at the palace.

Selia looked down at her pinky finger, wishing she could see her own fate string. Maybe then she could tell if this whole Selection thing would be a mistake or not.

* * *

**London "Lainey" Simone, Yukon **

Lainey eagerly looked out the window as her plane landed in Angeles. The sun was out, and although she knew Angeles rarely snowed, she wasn't expecting no sign of it at all. Delphine was looking out her window too, rather quiet now. Strange, she'd been talking to her and Lilura all day. Maybe she was just tired. It was exhausting knowing you were going somewhere new to compete for love.

Soon an attendant came to tell them that they could get off of the plane. Lainey smiled, standing, making her way out of the plane. It was hotter than she expected. She removed a jacket, but was still wearing long sleeves and gloves.

The girls were led to a limo, and Lainey smiled even bigger. She had never ridden in a limo, she could get used to it if this was royal life. Well, assuming she could live a royal life. She glanced down to her gloves, and took a deep breath before stepping into the limo. She closed the door behind her, since Delphine and Lilura were already inside.

Lilura sat, swaying with the car, seemingly feeling the motion deep in her soul. Lainey idly wondered if reading tarots was her only specialty. She'd had to ask, she'd been relieved when she learned Lilura was also a dark magic witch. Delphine wasn't, but she seemed okay with it.

Lainey crossed and uncrossed her fingers, trying to relieve her nerves. She brushed aside some of her blonde hair that had fallen in her face, and Delphine sighed, "Can you please stop fidgeting?" She asked, glaring at Lainey.

Lainey flushed, and nodded, "Sorry." Lilura was looking towards Delphine, the black veil shielding her face, but Lainey imagined it was scrunched in thought. Slowly, Lilura turned away from Delphine.

Lilura spoke, "Lainey, are you excited to meet the prince?"

Lainey bit her lip, nodding -not that Lilura could see it, gosh, Lainey was going to have to remember to speak more instead of gestures- "Yes, I've always thought Prince Khelben was kind of dreamy. I'm super excited, especially since we get to play princess for a few months."

Delphine groaned, "I just want to see what this whole challenge is about. Why is Evard trying to take over?"

Lilura tensed, "I suppose we'll see."

Delphine was the one staring at Lilura now, but it seemed critical, like she was trying to puzzle out some riddle Lilura had given. Lainey laughed weakly, what had happened? They'd all gotten along on the plane just fine! She sighed, and looked out the window.

* * *

The limo finally arrived at a giant palace, no, it was more like a gothic castle. The stone was dark and looked ancient, but the grand windows all over, and the attached giant greenhouse indicated it wasn't as old as it appeared. There were so many towers, Lainey worried she'd get lost if she ever left the first floor.

Guards lined the walkway, and saluted the girls as they walked by. Lainey felt as though she were already queen. She smiled, and walked down the sidewalk. When they reached the palace's front steps, a woman was there to greet them. No, not any woman, Queen Iris herself.

Lainey bowed, and Delphine was not far behind. Lainey looked back towards Lilura, and grimaced, "Lilura, Queen Iris is here."

Lilura gasped, and immediately bowed. Queen Iris's voice was soft as she spoke, almost like a wisp of smoke in the wind. "No worries, my dear. I am well aware of your gift, and you need never worry about bowing to any of us, we can be as stealthy as cats, each of us." She was joking, but somehow it felt like words of advice from an angel.

Lilura nodded, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lainey smiled, and stood after a moment. "Your Majesty, may I say how honored I am that you greeted us?"

Iris nodded once, "Thank you. But I am here to greet everyone. After all, I shall be teaching you the proper grace and etiquette needed to handle my son." She laughed, and it was almost like bells. "Now," she continued, waving towards the door, "please head inside and make your way to a makeover station. Meetings will begin once everyone arrives and has received a makeover."

Each girl nodded, and went inside, gasping at the inside of the castle. There were chandeliers everywhere, and the floor had an exquisite red carpet. Paintings covered the walls of the entrance, and several halls split off. A sign reading "Makeovers" pointed to the left, and Lainey turned to Lilura.

"Would you like help? There's multiple paths." No sooner had she finished, that a small silver fox appeared beside Lilura.

"No thanks, Silvie will lead me." Lilura replied, and Silvie took off, making sure to walk on the wood beside the carpet. Lainey smiled, her familiar was far too large to summon, but maybe if she were outside one day…

She walked to the left, and again, her breath was taken away as even temporary makeover stations screamed luxury. Lainey squealed, and ran over to a station, and a young girl nodded to her. "Name, province?"

"London Simone, Yukon." She replied as the woman sat her down.

"Excellent, we'll get a fashion advisor over here, and work from there. I'll do your hair first. Oh, but you may want to take off the gloves so I can give you a manicure." The woman said, turning Lainey towards the mirror.

"Oh!" Lainey exclaimed, "No, no, I must keep my gloves on. I always need gloves."

The woman gave her a funny look in the mirror, "Why? Religious purposes?"

Lainey hesitated, then nodded, "Yes, religion." It was a lie. But this woman didn't need to know that. Her condition was none of this stranger's concern. If she'd tell anyone, she'd tell Prince Khelben. But it would still take time, after all, she didn't want to scare him away. She sighed as the woman started to brush through her hair. This was definitely something she could get used to.

* * *

**Anika Fischer, Panama**

Anika sighed as the makeup woman tried to convince Anika to lose her piercings and wear heavy makeup. Anika was determined to keep her piercings, her helix's and every other one. She didn't care if the prince would find it intimidating, she wanted the prince to love them as she did. She wanted neutral tones with her makeup, bold makeup just wasn't her.

"Please, I don't want any bold makeup." Anika spoke, she felt the magic in her words, and smiled in relief when the makeup lady stopped arguing. She didn't always intend to use her charmspeak, but this time she had. Some people were just too argumentative for her, she didn't like arguing with people, but she also didn't like losing.

Anika felt a tap on her shoulder, and as the girl spoke, she saw her lips form something along the lines of, "Hey, are you okay? I tried calling you earlier."

Anika tapped her ear, then signed, while saying, "I'm deaf, but I'm fine, the makeover just wasn't going well."

The girl hummed, and sat back in her chair next to Anika's. The girl was admiring her own reflection, and tried on a new lipstick. She was wearing a rather small skirt and crop top. Anika grimaced, but decided to ignore it. Everyone had their own sense of fashion, Anika simply preferred softer, more relaxed stuff.

The girl looked over again, "I'm Kitri, you can call me that, or Kit, or Kiri works just fine." Anika nodded, and the girl continued, "So, what do you do for fun? I personally love a good time. Drinks, dancing, parties, the whole shebang." She waved her hands, making a shimmering motion.

Anika thought for a moment, she then said, "Surfing, yoga, making smoothies, journaling." She signed it as well, though she knew this girl probably didn't know sign language.

"Oooh, you're a health nut, huh? The opposite of me then." Kitri laughed, winking, "I'm kidding, well, not really, but don't let me give you shit for it."

Anika smiled uneasily. Anika wasn't expecting to meet someone so outgoing and bold. She was probably loud too, based on how fast she talked, and how wide her mouth opened. Anika turned back to the mirror as the makeover lady finished pinning her dreadlocks up into a bun. It was fancier than anything Anika had done on her own.

She noticed Kitri stand, and looked over to her. Kitri stretched, and rolled her shoulders. "Time to get dressed, we have a prince to snare, you coming?"

Anika was surprised. Why was this girl so eager to interact with her? She supposed she could use an ally, but Anika needed to pick her true friends carefully. She didn't know if she could trust this girl. She nodded, "Yes, I'm coming." She stood, and followed Kitri to a bunch of clothing racks.

Kitri examined it, and turned to Anika, "They've got our names, I'll come find you after I've got my rack, then we can try these outfits on."

Anika smiled, and Kitri walked off. Anika examined some of the racks, and avoided anything with tight clothing or dark colors. She saw one rack with only animal print, and Anika scowled. It had better be fake, or she would scold the royal family herself. Another rack of very formal, modest clothing, and jewelry seemed to be the main component of this rack. She stepped back, and continued looking for her own.

Finally a rack of lace, light, flowing clothing caught her eye, and she smiled as the name tag said her name. Kitri appeared at her side, a clothing rack behind her. It was a lot of leather, and tight clothing. Rather revealing it seemed, and Anika supposed she didn't expect any different.

"Come on," Anika read on Kitri's lips, "Let's find a fitting room. One at a time, like a fashion show!"

Anika followed Kitri as she eagerly looked for an open changing room, and found one. She smiled, "I'll go first." She grabbed a few dresses and went inside, so Anika took a seat, waiting for her to reappear.

The first outfit was a tight, but rather boring red dress. Anika gave a thumbs down, shaking her head, and Kitri laughed, going back inside. Next, she appeared in a sparkly, thigh length, black dress. It was definitely eye-catching, but Anika indicated to try on another. Kitri shrugged, and went back in. When she reappeared, Anika gasped, nodding eagerly. That was the one.

It was a deep forest green, and had the sides cut out in small chunks so it looked like stripes, but skin was every other 'color' on the stripes. It went down to Kitri's knees, and the bottom seemed to hug her legs, giving her even more shape than the others. It would definitely catch the attention of the prince.

Kitri smiled, running her hands along the fabric. Then she looked to Anika, and said, "Your turn." She took over Anika's seat, and Anika brought several dresses into the room.

The first few were a bust, and one she even crumpled and left in the was no way she would ever wear that outfit, it was far too itchy and hot. Anika sighed, looking at her two final dresses. One was white lace, and the other was a flowing floor-length, pink dress with white layering underneath. It looked almost like foam on waves, and Anika smiled to herself as she put it on.

When she stepped out, Kitri's eyes widened. She nodded eagerly, and the only word she said was "Wow". Anika smiled, and spun. It moved like a cloud, and she was quite happy with it. She looked to Kitri, who was now standing, and Kitri nodded. As different as their dresses were, they both seemed to look like royalty.

Kitri nodded back towards where they came from, "Let's get back, I'm sure the meetings will start soon." Anika nodded, and followed.

When they got back, they found others were finishing up, and a servant told them to make their way to the room across the hall to wait for the first meetings. When they walked in, Queen Iris, Kind Alodar, and Prince Evard were already there, watching the girls file in, sizing them up. It took only about 20 minutes for every Selected to sit down, and no sooner had the last girl sat, than the door opened and Prince Khelben walked in. Anika smiled, and the girls gave sloppy curtsies.

Anika couldn't quite read his lips, but Kitri told her after his announcement that he'd be meeting with each girl for 5 minutes roughly, he had a table over in the corner, but until then they should relax. Anika took a deep breath, and anxiously awaited her name to be called.

* * *

**Hello everyone! I finally got this chapter out! Whooo! We met some more girls, and soon we'll meet more as the introductions are in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**See you in the next one~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Evard**

Evard stared out at the group of girls, there were far too many of them in his opinion, but it wasn't his Selection. He blinked, pinching the bridge of his nose, his head was pounding, this morning he'd developed the worst headache he'd ever had. He'd told his mother about it, but she wasn't able to help.

The chatting going on wasn't helping either. The girls were so…._loud_. Did they really need to talk so much? He sighed, looking around to see his mother eagerly interacting with the girls, and his father was going from group to group, making small talk as he went. Evard was supposed to be talking to the girls.

Perhaps he should push through the headache and speak to some of them. He was supposed to play nice, but if any of these girls were here for reasons other than romance, maybe he could convince them to be a sort of spy. See how his brother was going to prepare for the challenge. It would certainly be useful, besides, surely some of these witches needed to have dark magic right? Some sort of connection. He'd love to learn the secrets, much more interesting than light magic at least.

Evard pushed away from the wall, taking a few steps out into the crowd. As he made his way through the standing groups, his head seemed to be encountering waves. He shook his head, how odd. As he walked towards a less crowded corner, a sharp pain seemed to stab at his head. He stumbled, and clutched his head. When he looked up, he made eye contact with one of the Selected. She had wavy brown hair, and delicate asian features. She quickly looked away, and Evard narrowed his eyes. Had she given him that painful headache? He was suddenly wary, if she was powerful, how powerful were any one of these girls?

He took out his wand, and after casting a small summoning spell, he had a small notebook and pencil in hand. He jotted down as many names of the Selected that he could remember. Perhaps he should look into their magic himself. Dark or light, how powerful they were, what their specialties were. Of course he wouldn't share any of this with Khelben, but it would be for a benefit. Seeing which girls could be a threat if they married Khelben, and which would make good allies if they teamed up with him.

Unfortunately he didn't remember the name of this suspicious Selected, but he would find out soon enough, and make sure to mark her down as someone to be wary of. But he heard his mother call him over. So he left the corner, and found his mother at a table of Selected girls.

"Mother?" Evard answered, slowly approaching, the girls were all quite pretty, and he could see Khelben would likely keep them around for a while.

"Oh, there you are, these girls are so sweet! This is Vera, and Zaylen, and Madison." Evard held back a frown, Madison offered to shake his hand, and Evard decided that of these three Khelben would probably find her the least worthy of staying. He was all about saving face, and a wife with grace was the first step.

"You called me for a reason?" Evard asked, raising a brow, opening his notebook to write the girls' names down. His headache seemed to be wavering, heavy then light, heavy then light. It was annoying to say the least, but that stabbing pain had left since he'd left that corner. More evidence he was right in his theory that that girl had done it. He'd have to keep an eye on all these girls.

His mother frowned, "I was hoping you could talk to them as I move on."

He wanted to ask why she had to make him talk to the girls, but he just sighed and nodded. He didn't want to argue with his mother, his only ally. His mother stood, walking away, and Evard took over her seat.

"Okay, ladies, let's talk, then." He snipped, opening his notebook. Time to take notes.

* * *

**Khelben**

Khelben had been calling girl after girl over, and so far they were all sweet, shy, airy girls. He'd been calling them over randomly, hoping to get variety, but they seemed to follow a mold. He sighed, calling the next girl over, "Nazca Marcetta."

The moment she sat down, Khelben's hair stood up on end. This girl had an uneasy power about her, and she certainly wasn't like the others. She was wearing a black lace dress that showed off her figure. Her black hair should have made black a bad color on her, but she rocked it. She stared at him like a cat staring at a bird in a cage.

He cleared his throat, "Hello Nazca, how are you?"

"Fine," she twirled a strand of hair, "How are you, Your Highness?"

"Alright, it's nice seeing someone different."

"Different?" Her eyes had a gleam in them, "You mean the others haven't been offering such interesting conversation? We just started talking." A smirk played on her red lips, and Khelben gulped. Should he not have said that?

"Well, they just all say the same thing, how excited they are, how big the castle is, how handsome I am…"

Nazca chuckled, and it was deep, almost gravelly, completely different from the high pitched squeaks of the other girls laughing. "Glad my presence is so appreciated."

The timer dinged, and Khelben nodded to her, "Time's up, sorry." She stood, curtsied slowly, as she walked away, he called out the next name, "Verena Clarke."

She sat, and he could swear he already saw her blushing, "Hello, Verena-"

"Oh, Vera, please."

Khelben blinked, "Oh, alright, of course. Vera, how are you?"

She had both hands in her lap, and Khelben heard her leg bouncing, her heel clicking. "Nervous," she admitted, "but I think you're nice enough." She wasn't much of a talker, huh?

Khelben nodded, "Well, you seem very nice too. Tell me, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I'm in college, Light Magic Philosophy." She replied, shrugging.

Khelben nodded, a philosophy major, interesting. The timer dinged, and he nodded to her, "Nice to meet you, Vera, but I need to meet the next person." She left, offering a shy smile. The next few girls were interesting, but nothing too notable.

"London Simone." The girl walked up, and she smiled, curtsying. She was wearing pink silk gloves to match her dress. Interesthing, no one else had worn gloves.

"Lainey, by the way, Your Highness."

"Oh! Did I read it wrong-?"

"No, I just, that's my nickname." She was sitting, her eyes shone brightly, and he could tell she was excited, at least she wasn't too terribly shy.

"So, Lainey, tell me about yourself." Khelben left the question open, wondering where she would go first.

She hummed, "I have a reindeer familiar! I dress him as Rudolph sometimes during the holiday season at my store!"

Khelben chuckled, "A reindeer? That's so cool! I have an iguana, his name is Wilhelm. What kind of store do you run?"

Lainey smiled brightly, "A Christmas store! Well, a holiday store, but mainly Christmas. It's my favorite holiday."

Khelben smiled, nodding, it made sense, she certainly seemed like someone who had that festive spirit. The timer dinged once more, and she stood, "Hopefully we can talk more!"

It made him chuckle as she walked off, he looked down at the list, "Delmira Kessler."

A red haired woman in a pantsuit walked towards him. She had her chin up and shoulders back, and Khelben had to admit he admired her confidence. She sat, and looked over at him, waiting.

"Well, hello Miss Kessler, how are you?"

"My name is Mira." She leaned on the table, hands folded together. "Look, I'm here for the excitement this is sure to bring, the real question is how are _you_ feeling?" She tilted her head.

Khelben suddenly felt as though he was being interrogated, "I-I feel fine."

She stared at him for a long moment, then smirked, "That's what I thought." The timer dinged, and she stood, "Well, Your Highness, I look forward to talking to you more." She bowed, and walked away. Khelben shook his head, confused. Had that really just happened? He couldn't linger on it, but he wanted to uncover her story as much as she seemed to want to uncover his.

"Zaylen Duval." If there was ever an opposite of Mira, certainly this girl was it. She was shrunk in on herself, and barely made eye contact as she sat down. "Hello Zaylen."

"Hello Your Highness, Zay, please." She replied, her voice was even quiet.

"Very well, Zay, how are you?" Khelben asked, trying to let her open up at her own speed.

"I'm alright, it's quite exciting though being at the castle. And I hope that I can get to stay. I'm- just-" she sighed, clearly she was someone who wanted to communicate, but Khelben guessed she didn't have the experience of a happy social life.

He nodded, "I understand." She smiled gratefully, and the timer dinged. She stood, curtsying, and he called out the next name, hopefully this next girl knew how to break the ice. "Catalina Cabiurne."

The girl had curly dark hair, and a face splattered with freckles, she sat down, and seemed rather informal in how she slouched.

"Catalina, how are you?"

"How are you?" She replied, raising a brow. "It's Cat, by the way."

"O-okay, Cat." He watched her warily, "I'm fine, now how are you?"

"I'm great, really livin' my best life, you know?" She leaned back, looking around the room. She noticed a tapestry, and her eyes widened, "How old is that?" She asked.

Khelben looked, and it was of a giant cauldron sitting in the middle of a forest. Vines were covering the cauldron. He shrugged, "It's been there all my life, I'm not sure." He looked to the girl, and asked, "What do you do for a living?"

Cat shrugged, still tracing the lines of the vines on the tapestry. "I own a shop, I plan to open more, I also do research, and write. I want to publish a book, you know."

"Oh? What on?"

"Protection Magic." Cat replied, finally looking back at him. Khelben nodded, so she must have been a light magic witch then, interesting that she was doing more research, he'd thought everything was pretty much discovered. Cat looked around again, and Khelben made a mental note that she lost focus easily. Was it a bad habit? Or was she incapable? The bell dinged, and Cat stood. "Nice meetin' you, Your Highness." She walked away, and Khelben sighed.

He took a moment to collect his thoughts before he called over the next girl, "Kitri Romero."

Kitri plopped down, and her outfit made Khelben's jaw drop, the cutout sides and color complimented her features well. Her hair seemed an alluring brown, as it waved along her shoulders. Khelben noted a few tattoos, and glimpses of more. He was surprised, she sat, and smiled.

"Hello Your Highness, how are you doing today?" She asked, resting her chin on a hand.

Khelben let out a shocked chuckle, "I'm doing just fine now."

Her eyes crinkled, "Flatterer." She murmured, "But I suppose I'm doing very well too. So, Your Highness, are you excited to be having a Selection?"

"Well, I'm a little, I'm also nervous to see what type of characters I get here. You could all be crazy for all I know." Khelben replied, shaking his head.

Kitri laughed this time, "Oh, we're all a little crazy I'm sure, it's just a matter of what drives us crazy." She winked, and Khelben knew he'd be keeping this girl around. The timer dinged, and she sighed, "That's time?"

"Yes, unfortunately, but I think we can both look forward to another meeting." Khelben answered, nodding to her. She offered a small smile, and stood, curtsying.

"Well then, until next time, Your Highness." She left, and Khelben was still smiling when he looked down at the list. "Lilura Maddox."

A girl walked over, dressed in loose, black dress and she had a veil over her face. It was still see through, but he was immediately intrigued by her approach. A small silver fox, not too different from his father's familiar trotted in front of Lilura, and she found her way into the seat.

"Hello Lilura, is that your familiar? He's rather cute!" Khelben began, looking to the fox. However, the fox glared back at him, so Khelben turned his attention to Lilura.

Lilura smiled, "Ah yes, that's Silvie, pardon his rudeness, he doesn't take kindly to strangers, or, anyone, ever."

"It's no trouble," Khelben replied, casting a quick glance to the fox - which was still glaring- then back to her. 'So, if I remember correctly, the veil isn't just aesthetic?"

Lilura chuckled, "Well, technically it is, more tradition. But yes, I'm a Seer, so only the flashes of the future are visible, it's why I need Silvie."

"The future? Can you tell my future?" Khelben asked.

Lilura frowned, "Not from the visions, no, but every once in a while a clear vision breaks through."

"Is it genetic?" Khelben asked, as the bell dinged. Lilura stood.

"My family has them once in a great while, it's considered a gift." She curtsied, and before she left, she grabbed Khelben's wrist, "Be careful, Your Highness, this Selection won't be all you expect it to be." Khelben was speechless as she walked away. Keep the Seer. Definitely keep the Seer.

"Anika Fischer?" He called out, and after a moment, a girl approached. Her hair was in a bun, but it appeared to be dreadlocks, and Khelben couldn't help but smile. A unique choice, definitely stand out from the rest of the girls.

She sat, and he nodded at her, "Hello Anika, how are you?"

She smiled, and made intricate signs with her hands as she replied, "I'm fine, how are you? Excited?"

"Oh, you're the one who-" He cut himself off, not sure if it would be offensive to just point it out.

Anika chuckled, and her voice replied, along with her hands, her voice certainly had its own accent as she replied, "It's okay, yes, I'm the deaf one."

Khelben sighed in relief, "So you can read lips?" She nodded, and he smiled, "I'm good, then, yes, a bit excited."

"How is it living in the castle? I live by a beach to work with the critters." She asked, tilting her head.

"Oh, it's alright, nothing too special. It's big, unnecessarily big, in my opinion. We don't go in half the rooms." Khelben replied, shaking his head. It was true, Khelben still got lost sometimes in the less used wings of the palace.

Anika nodded, slowly though, so it was almost sympathetic if Khelben had to guess. The bell dinged, and he relayed, "Time's up." She grimaced, but stood, curtsying, and waving goodbye. He waved back, and the next person was coming before he knew it.

"Maria Fierro". She was wearing a peach mermaid style dress with a gold and diamond necklace. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a curled bun. If he dared to admit she was beautiful, he was definitely going to keep her around already.

She smiled, "Hello, Your Highness, I'm Maria."

"Khelben, please, you're the only one who's offered your name, not just assuming I know who you are." He replied, leaning forward.

She leaned forward as well, "Well, if I wasn't Maria that would make me a liar."

Khelben smirked, "True, and there's no reason to hide your identity here." She hummed, and he continued, "So, what made you want to join the Selection?"

Maria laughed, shaking her head, "Well, I won't lie, the spotlight in enticing."

Khelben nodded, "I suppose it has its charms, but even the spotlight gets overwhelming sometimes, be sure you're ready for it."

"Oh, I am."

At that, the bell dinged, and she stood, giving a devilish smile before turning and leaving. Wow, he definitely liked Maria, she was, without a doubt, on his "to stay" list. Well, the next girl was up now.

"Delphine Cressida." A pretty redhead with a face full of freckles walked up to him, and she curtsied before sitting.

"Hello Your Highness," she greeted, smiling politely.

"Hello Delphine, do you have a nickname? Or is Delphine your preferred name?" He'd made too many mistakes with not asking.

"Delphi is fine," She replied.

"Like the Oracle? Can you see the future too?" Khelben asked.

She blinked. "No…"

_Awkward. _"Oh, well, then what do you do for a living?"

Delphi shook her head lightly, then continued, "An antique shop, it keeps me busy enough."

Khelben nodded, "That's interesting! I'm sure it's nice seeing so many old objects with so much history."

Delphi nodded, "It definitely has its moments. Sometimes we get some old hand painted furniture to sell, but I always like to admire it while it's on display."

The bell dinged, and Khelben sighed, "Alright, time is it was nice meeting you, Delphi."

"And you as well." She left, and Khelben counted down how many girls were left. Almost there, he could do it.

"Cresselia Lovelace!" He called out, and soon a girl was sitting in front of him, she was smiling sweetly. "Well, hello!"

"Hi, Your Highness." She replied, "How are you liking everyone so far?"

Khelben chuckled, "Well, everyone is certainly unique. You definitely bring a new energy to the table!"

Her eyes crinkled, "Oh, I'm glad! Oh, and I can go by Selia, if it's easier."

Khelben nodded, "Alright then, Selia, tell me about yourself, interests, job?"

Selia was practically shining with excitement, "I'm a matchmaker!"

Khelben was suddenly wary, "Oh?"

Selia nodded, "I can see peoples' strings of fate. Little red strings that lead someone to their soulmate."

Khelben was surprised, he'd only heard about that, he never expected to ever meet anyone with that power. There were only 3, and he supposed Selia must have been one of them. "Wait really? So, can you tell if my soulmate is here?"

Selia glanced to his hand, tracing something he couldn't see. Her eyes followed it into the crowd, grimacing. "It's hard to tell, there's so many girls, and the strings get tangled, it's hard to tell unless you two are right next to each other. But it's possible!" She turned back to him.

"What about you?" Khelben asked, tilting his head.

"I can't see my own." She sighed, "But- unless our strings are taking a detour, I doubt we're matches." The bell dinged, and Selia smiled sadly. "Good luck, Your Highness, I wish you the best."

Khelben nodded, "You as well, but don't count yourself out yet." Selia nodded as she curtsied, and walked away. He looked out at the group of girls, then back to his list.

"Alina Rothchild." Khelben read off the paper, projecting his voice. After talking to Selia, and knowing he could possibly be soulmates with one of these girls, he was even more eager to get to know these girls and separate them into eliminate or keep.

The girl walked forward, she had brown hair and delicate Asian features, she was quite pretty. He also noticed she was wearing a lot of jewelry, and he had to wonder if it was just a personal preference, or if she was a crystal or gem reader similar to his mother.

"So, Alina, how are you? How do you like it here in the palace?" Khelben asked. He eyed the jewels she was wearing, and idly wondered if she'd try to keep it after she left.

"I'm okay, it's rather loud here." She replied, grimacing a bit.

"Not used to so many people?" Khelben chuckled.

"Well, I'm used to a lot of people, but my family isn't a very loud one." She replied, shrugging, "But I suppose I'll get used to it."

Khelben nodded, "I'm not even used to it myself, I'm usually never around this many talking people."

Alina smiled softly, but offered no other words. He cleared his throat, and asked, "Can I know about the jewels? Or is it secret?"

She seemed to stiffen, "Secret."

Khelben hadn't actually expected her to say that, but he nodded, "I see. Well, our time is up I'm afraid, it was nice meeting you."

She nodded, stood, and walked away. Khelben leaned back into his seat. Sure, Alina had been a little closed off, but he didn't think she meant to be rude, besides, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious to unlock her secrets as well.

The next girl was Emma-Grace Peterson, she approached, and Khelben was surprised by the determined look on the girl's face. She definitely didn't seem like one to be dominant in her approach.

"Hello Emma, how are-"

"It's Emma-Grace, Your Highness." The girl cut in.

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Emma-Grace, no nicknames." She stated, "But, I'm fine, excited to be here! How are you?"

Khelben was taken aback, "Uh...I'm alright, uh, can I just say that you've got quite the fiery attitude."

Emma-Grace laughed, "Thanks, well, I'm trying to break free of that "perfect mold" my town fit me into."

Khelben nodded slowly, _sure, why not?_ He cleared his throat, "Well, okay then, Emma-Grace, tell me about yourself? What are your interests?"

"Well, I love keeping journals, I have to plan everything. I'm also good at planning parties! So if you plan to throw one during the Selection you should totally give me a chance."

Khelben smiled, "Maybe." The timer dinged, and Emma-Grace stood up, "Nice meeting you." Khelben said as she curtsied.

"And you, Your Highness."

Khelben looked down at his paper, and smiled at the last name of the day. So maybe he kept Elaine, the only person he knew for last. So sue him. "Elaine Ashworth."

Elaine walked over, smiling, and sat, "Hello Khel, how are you?"

He sighed in relief, "Honestly? Stressed, it's so hard sorting what girls to keep and which ones to get rid of."

Elaine nodded, "I understand, it's got to be difficult with only 3 minutes or so each."

Khelben chuckled, "You know it." He paused, drumming his fingers on the table. "Have you talked to Evard lately?"

Elaine frowned, "I sent him a letter, but he never replied. I think it was too much too soon."

Khelben scoffed, "You know he has no right to do that! I haven't even become King yet!"

Elained sighed, "Yes, but I also know your brother never does anything without overthinking it. He must think he knows what he's doing. And let's be real, you have plenty of flaws he could use to justify it." She smiled weakly, and the bell dinged. "We can talk later, but please, I want to try and get you two to settle this, not fight."

She walked away, leaving Khelben to himself. He'd met the entirety of the Selected, and he had to decide who should go, and how many. He sighed, time to get to work. He started going through names, seeing which had stood out, and which were bland. He started crossing off names, and soon enough he was standing, announcing which girls were eliminated. There was a desperate groan, and disappointment filled the air. But hope from the remaining Selected soon filled the void, and he hoped he made the right choices.

* * *

**Hello everyone! So first meetings! They're pretty short, but since we've met some of the girls already, and will get to know them with their POVs, I figured it would be fine. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you in the next one!**

**A List of the Selected: Maria,** **Elaine, Nazca, Vera, Delphi, Kitri, Mira, Emma-Grace, Alina, Cat, Zaylen, Anika, Selia, Lilura, Lainey. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

**Alina Rothchild, Likely**

The Crown Prince had quickly dismissed the girls, and Alina didn't blame him, she was glad for the chance to get back to her room. She needed to unwind and recharge. She slowly removed necklace after necklace and her rings. They were giving her an odd energy, and she needed to replace them. She pulled out her trunk, and found two new necklaces and a ring. She put them on, and immediately felt less tense, though her mind was still running to her meeting with Khelben, and Prince Evard, they'd certainly made eye contact, and for a good while, she was surprised he hadn't walked over to her.

She'd have to be careful around both of them if she was going to keep her magic, or rather lack thereof, hidden. She didn't want to be kicked out for being a non-magic, she didn't know their stance on them. But- Evard had seemed suspicious of her. What for? She hadn't done anything. She'd have to steer clear of him. Khelben though, he'd simply been curious, perhaps she was a bit cold, but she didn't need anyone prying into her life.

Alina sighed, and turned back to her chest of jewels, pulling out her crystal, and placing it around her neck. It didn't take long for Slinky to appear, and he gazed up at her curiously. She smiled down at him, and stroked his back. The large, spotted "cat" rubbed against her. Slinky did calm her down, "Oh, well, we're here Slinky, already we seem to be on some watch lists."

Slinky blinked slowly at her, and she stifled a laugh, "I would rather keep low too, but I didn't start it." Slinky seemed to study her, then walked away, hopping onto a cushy chair, and settling in. Alina sighed, "Thanks, Slinky, helpful as always."

There was a knock on the door, and it opened, a maid stepping in. She spotted Alina on the floor, and curtsied, "Erm- Hello, Lady Alina, I'm your maid, Tora, and I'm here to get you ready for dinner."

Alina pursed her lips, but nodded and stood, brushing off her clothes. The maid went to the closet, it was already filled with skirts, and formal tops. The maid pulled a navy pencil skirt out, and a white dress shirt with light ruffles on the front to cover the buttons. Black heels were soon to follow, and Alina chose a pair of golden necklaces and her trusty Blue Spinel ring to match. The ring was gifted with abilities that could help her through the night. She'd definitely need to be cautious around these new people. Who knows what they were here for?

Alina was dressed, and decided to leave her hair down, so her maid took leave. Alina glanced down at Slinky, and held the crystal necklace out, "Time to get back in, I can't have you wandering around here." Slinky gave a low growl, but turned into a blue-ish smoky haze and disappeared inside the crystal. Alina put it back in her chest, and shoved the chest under her bed, pulling the covers low to cover it.

She left her room, and heard chatting down the hall, so she followed the noise, and saw a group of girls - styles varying from deep black dresses to formal suits, to bright crazy colors- making their way down a flight of stairs. She tacked onto the back of the group, and followed them to the dining hall. As she walked in, she noticed the royal family already there, and the group curtsied. Alina followed suit, smoothly placing one leg behind and lowering herself. The royal family greeted them, and Alina moved to the tables lining the head table.

There were name plates at each seat, and Alina was seated between Delmira, and another girl named Emily, who was already there. Alina took a seat, and not long after Delmira came in. She was dressed in a green pantsuit, offsetting her fiery hair, which was so flat it seemed to be pressed against her back. Alina took one of her own curls in her hand, but quickly dropped it, and looked to the royal family properly this time.

Prince Khelben seemed to be waiting for every girl to come in, but his father was eyeing how the girls were interacting in their assigned seats, and Queen Iris was talking in hushed tones with Prince Evard. Alina began to fiddle with one of her rings, twisting it around her finger.

"My what a lovely ring!" Delmira snatched Alina's hand, examining the ring. Alina gasped, and snatched her hand away. Delmira offered a half-smile, "Sorry, I just had to get a closer look. I've never seen anything so shiny in my life! And I've seen a lot. How do you keep it so clean?"

Alina wanted to keep her lips sealed, but she figured she had to give an answer, whether it was truthful or not, this girl didn't need to know. "Thanks, I usually rotate and clean every day." Delmira narrowed her eyes, and Alina's pinky ring started to burn, and Alina knew this girl was trying to read her mind. Luckily, the ring was a gift from her mother to protect her from such powers, fake thoughts would be given instead.

Eventually Delmira leaned away, "How curious. Well, I shall keep those hints in mind." Alina didn't know what the ring had shown the girl, but she didn't care. As long as her mind was safe.

Alina felt eyes on her, and she saw Prince Evard was staring at her, his brown eyes seemed to be burning like embers. She was a little unsettled, but she returned his stare. He turned to his journal, making a little note, and turned back to his mother. Alina let out a breath she'd been holding. A plate was placed before her of fancy cuts of meat and potatoes, with steamed vegetables.

Soon Khelben stood, and clinked a spoon against his glass, "Hello Selected! Congratulations, you've made it past the initial eliminations. I welcome you into our home, and sincerely hope I get to know each and every one of you. But as you all know only one can win my heart. So, I wish you all the best of luck!" He sat down, and the girls began digging into their food.

As the girls ate, Alina noticed the glances of competitive thoughts passing from girl to girl. Sure, they were all here to supposedly win the Prince's hand, but what was each girl willing to do to get it? No one could truly be trusted, not in a world of magic, and especially Alina - a girl born without it- relying only on her relics to keep her alive around girls who were possibly trained for years in their own branches. So as competitive glances were being passed, Alina threw suspicious and observant glances of her own around. Better safe than sorry, and better alive without magic than dead because of it.

* * *

**Maria Fierro, Allens**

Maria was finishing the dessert they brought out, and was honestly kind of regretting wearing her pale pink mermaid style dress on the first night. If she wasn't careful she'd need adjustments made to her dresses. But she supposed she could always find the training room. Soon Khelben stood along with the rest of the royal family.

"Well, Ladies, it was very nice meeting all of you today, congratulations on making it past initial eliminations, I look forward to getting to know each of you." Khelben smiled, "But I'm afraid dinner is over, good night."

A chorus of 'good night's flowed from dozens of voices, and Maria watched as Khelben slipped out of a side door. As the girls crowded to leave, Maria quickly willed herself invisible, following Khelben out of the side door. It seemed to lead out towards the gardens, and Maria smied. Excellent, plants and a prince in one place.

Khelben walked quickly down the steps out into a courtyard, and Maria darted to the side, and around a corner. She quickly revealed herself, and counted to three before walking down the path. Khelben spotted her, "Oh, I'm surprised to see someone here."

"Your Highness," Maria curtsied, smiling, "I didn't mean to surprise you, but I just had to see the gardens for myself. I love plants."

"Oh? Are you an herbology specialist?" Khelben asked, walking towards her, stopping about 3 feet from her.

"You could say that, yes, I am gifted with plant topics." Maria replied, it was the truth, she knew plants like the back of her hand, and could work with them in any capacity. Maria stepped forward, taking his arm in hers. "How about a walk?"

Khelben seemed surprised, but nodded, "Sure."

Maria wondered if he had come out here for a reason, not just to walk, and suddenly scolded herself for not following him for longer. She'd have to keep that in mind for later. "So, Your Highness, how do you feel? You've eliminated many girls now, only what, 28 of us left? We must have done something right."

Maria could hear the false jest in her voice, and Khelben chuckled, "Well, I suppose so, yes, but I can't say my meetings were particularly riveting."

Maria hummed in agreement, that was true, she'd never had a more boring conversation. But she was here to win over the prince, get him to trust her. "Well, what else are you supposed to ask at the first meeting? 'Tell me your life story and deepest secret?'"

Khelben snorted, and nodded, "I suppose that's true. Honestly, I'm not sure how I even managed to eliminate so many people off of introductions only lasting about a minute."

Maria shrugged, "Well, now you have all the time in the world to get to know us." She turned to look at Khelben, and drew all the charm she could muster, smiling at him, "I know I'll enjoy my time here." She would never say that genuinely, but this wasn't a competition to be genuine, it was about the power.

Khelben smiled back, staring into her eyes, and he nodded, "I'm glad, I'll certainly enjoy getting to know each and every fine lady here."

_Not good enough. Maria needed her in his thoughts. _She looked up to the sky, the sun was setting, "Don't you just love sunsets? The creeping dark, the colors, knowing the night has so much to offer?"

Khelben looked to the sunset, then her, "I suppose. But I'm more of a sunrise person, new beginnings and all that." _Of course he is. _But at least now he might associate sunsets with her. Perhaps once a day he would think of her. It wasn't foolproof, but it would do since she didn't know much about him yet. She'd have to observe, ask around, maybe she could make friends, and as they went on dates they could relay to her what he was like.

They walked in silence for a while more, and she was just thankful the path was paved, and not gravel. Her feet were still aching, but at least they were on solid ground, and she wasn't about to ask the prince to stop so she could take her heels off. She wouldn't show signs of weakness like that.

They soon reached a fountain, and Maria took a seat on the edge. Khelben followed suit. Maria kicked off her shoes, and stretched her toes. Khelben unbuttoned his jacket, and slipped it off, offering it to her. She was a little surprised at the gesture, but wrapped the jacket around her shoulders.

"So, Maria, right?"

"Yes."

"Do you mind me asking, what type of magic do you have?" Khelben asked, gazing sidelong at her.

Maria plastered a reassuring smile on, "I was born into Light Magic." _And practice more, but, he doesn't need to know that. _

"Oh, that's a relief."

Maria froze at this, then turned to look at the prince. "Do you not like dark magic?"

Khelben tensed, and she could tell he hadn't meant to let that slip. "Well...just like others...I was raised to be cautious around it. And having dark magic so loosely around the castle could be dangerous."

"I don't think dark magic is quite so dangerous. There are bad people, true, but light magic doesn't make you immune." Maria replied, and for a moment she forgot she was supposed to be earning his absolute trust. But dark magic was something she was eagerly learning, trying to incorporate into life.

"Well, it's just that, more dangerous things require dark magic. But I agree, light magic users can certainly be bad." He had a tone of bitterness in his voice, and Maria had to wonder if he was so harsh against his brother, if that was who he was referring to.

She knew that Khelben must feel extremely threatened by Evard, if he was so nervous, but she also wondered how far Khelben would go to keep his throne. Was Khelben so self-righteous that he believed the throne was his right? Power is never a right, it had to be earned, taken, to be able to hold it with heads held high.

Khelben sighed and stood, running a hand through his hair, and offering his other hand to help her stand. She quickly slid her shoes on, and stood, grabbing his arm, and following him back to the castle. She didn't know if this counted as a date or not, but she'd gotten to establish herself with him, and she hoped that would get her somewhere. But in the meantime, he didn't like dark magic, so she had to be careful of her act now if she was to gain his full confidence, and possibly his crown.

* * *

**Elaine Ashworth, Angeles**

Elaine woke the next morning, and she felt a small headache coming on, so she pulled out one of her grandfather's books and began to read. After a few incantations her headache dulled, and she felt lighter. She knew Khelben didn't like dark magic. For now she'd be using her practiced light magic. It was relatively easy to keep her dark magic in control, but her light magic wasn't exactly strong, and she didn't like being disadvantaged. But at least she knew some protection spells in case these girls turned dark. She'd seen how they were glaring at each other last night. She didn't trust a single one of them.

Elaine's mission today was to find Evard and ask him what the heck was going on in his mind. He hadn't replied to her letter, and yes, it had hurt, but she wanted to make sure he was okay. After challenging Khelben, surely he was feeling stressed. She got dressed, a nice pink, knee length dress and some white heels, curling her hair. She also put in some golden hoops, and went on her way.

She wasn't allowed down the royal hallways, she knew that, so she hoped Evard wasn't in his room. She made her way to the library, but he wasn't there, so she checked study and study. She'd been in plenty as a child, studying alongside the princes. She finally saw the curly red hair facing away from her on a couch.

She closed the door, and cleared her throat. Evard turned, and sighed as he saw her. "Hello Elaine."

"Evi, what are you doing?" She walked around the couch, and took a seat in the armchair across from him.

"I'm journaling." He was, he had about 3 journals laid out, and he was copying notes down. Separating them, by what Elaine couldn't tell.

"You know what I mean." Elaine replied, trying to bring the conversation where she wanted.

Evard slammed the pen down, "What do you want me to say? I challenged him. He doesn't deserve the throne, Elaine, we both know that."

"I think he deserves a chance, you're not giving him one. If you win, he'll never get to prove himself." Elaine rebutted.

Evard glared at the wall, then closed the journals. "Elaine, you haven't been here for years, trust me he's not what you remember."

Elaine's brow furrowed, it was certain Evard knew Khelben better, but she'd been in contact with both brothers. Both seemed just as she remembered. She shook her head, "Evard, you can't go rushing into things-"

"I'm not rushing. I've been planning this for a while."

Elaine scoffed, "Evi what do you have to hear to knock some sense into you?!"

"Nothing, my sense is perfectly fine, maybe you're the one who needs to look around. Go on, go spend some time around Khel, you'll see." Evard replied, scowling. He sweeped up his journals and stood. "He's no golden child, neither am I, but he doesn't deserve the power he'd be getting, and I'm going to make sure he doesn't."

Elaine sighed in defeat as Evard stormed out of the study, likely to his room where she couldn't find him. She supposed it was time to seek out Khelben.

* * *

Elaine walked out of the palace to find Khelben surrounded by Selected, watching eagerly as he exploded a rock with nothing but a few whispered words. He was certainly milking the fact that he could do wandless magic. No matter that Elaine's mother had started their wandless magic lessons; all that mattered was that he could show off to these girls.

She sighed, and pushed her way through the crowd. "Khelben, can I speak to you?"

Khelben looked over his shoulder at her, "A little busy right now, maybe later?"

"Evard sent me, he thinks that I need to relearn you." Elaine sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Then you'll need to relearn me like all these girls will be learning me the first time." Khelben replied, winking to his audience.

Elaine wrinkled her nose, well, his ego was certainly huge right now. But it could just be that he was showing off. At their "first" meeting he had seemed so stressed, so real. This Khelben was so fake. Is this the Khelben Evard was talking about?

Some of the girls were cheering on Khelben while others glared at Elaine for intruding and distracting their entertainment. Elaine exhaled harshly, and turned, leaving the circle. Fine, if Khelben wanted to boast and flirt, then she wouldn't get in the way. She wasn't here to necessarily marry him.

She walked back into the castle, and saw a blonde haired girl sitting on a couch in the women's room. She seemed nice enough, but before Elaine could decide whether to approach or not, the girl spotted her.

"Oh, hello! Here, sit, sit." She indicated the chair beside the couch, smiling. Elaine cautiously approached, and sat, nodding to the girl. "I'm Lainey, what's your name?"

"Elaine."

"Nice to meet you! What do you do for fun?" Lainey asked, tilting her head. Elaine was nervous about giving anyone information, but Lainey seemed sweet, and Elaine figured she should have a few friends, it would be nice. So she began to speak, getting to know Lainey. It would be nice to have a close friend other than the princes, she couldn't hold their attention forever, she knew that for certain now. They had other girls to talk to, and Evard was unlikely to notice anyone in the coming months.

* * *

**So I finally thought of some stuff to put in this chapter lolll. Welcome back to OCCW, sorry for the long wait, but HSC is usually in my mind as of right now. So these updates may be less frequent, but that depends. Soooo, we got some new POVs this chapter, Alina, Maria and Elaine. I think that's like half the girls got POVs? I'll have to double check later. But I'm hoping to give each one a POV before the next round of eliminations. Soo tensions are rising, not only between the brothers, but the Selected are coming in ready for business. Evard is taking notes, but, on what, and how can he have so much info already? Well, guess we'll find out eventually hehe.**

**See you in the next chapter~! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Evard**

Evard rubbed his temple, the headache was more of a dull throb now, at least it wasn't a sharp, violent pain. He sighed, it had been almost 4 days now. Perhaps he should see if his mother could help at all. If anything, maybe she could even find out why his head was hurting so much.

Evard was in the library, so he slowly stood, and made his way out, avoiding any bright windows or loud areas. He didn't want to make it worse. After a hellishly long walk, he finally knocked on his mother's door. She answered, and upon seeing the misery in his face, quickly ushered him in.

"Oh, darling, what's troubling you?" His mother asked, gently placing a hand on his head. As she searched for the problem, the smell of the room shifted to ease the headache a bit. But it still lingered, and Evard groaned.

"I figured you could help. Ever since the day the Selected arrived my head's been aching, worse sometimes." Evard spoke, closing his eyes tightly to distract his pain sensors.

Queen Iris hummed, placing her other hand on his cheek. Her hand was cool, and Evard leaned into it. She then walked away, speaking more to herself than him. "It started when the Selected….headaches….dull now though. You said it gets worse? When?"

"Umm...around other people? Or I guess whenever I'm in a room with the Selected, like at dinner." Evard replied.

"Could be...or perhaps…" She murmured some more, digging through a couple chests along the wall. "Maybe…? Oh!" She stood upright, and marched over to her jewelry box. It took only a moment before she dug out a black crystal on a necklace chain. She brought it over to Evard, and held it out to him, "How do you feel?"

Evard was confused, but looked to the crystal. "Weird."

"How so?"

"I- my headache is both easing, and increasing." He looked down to his arm and saw goosebumps appearing, the hair rising. Something was setting him on edge, and he guessed it was the necklace. "I feel….cloudy."

"Interesting." Iris held the necklace in her hand, murmuring to it, then the previously black crystal had swirling white mist inside. Evard was intrigued, but when he tried to touch the crystal, his head exploded in pain.

It felt as though his skull were splitting and his scalp was on fire. "Gah! It's worse than anything before, but-" he couldn't finish his sentence, the pain was too much.

Iris quickly tossed the crystal away, and placed her hands on his head. The pain slowly eased up, until it was a dull thud like before.

"I believe," Iris began, grimacing, "That you have been blessed, and cursed, with the ability to sense magic."

Evard opened his eyes to look at her, but it was more of a squint, "What does that mean?"

"It means, since you've hardly been around anyone's magic but our own, that you've never realized it. Now that new people have come to the castle, you can sense their magic. The types, the strength, the clash of dark and light, strong and weak. The magic is reaching out to you, alerting you it's there. But since you've never been exposed to such differences before, your abilities are overwhelmed, and so you have this ever present headache." Iris explained, she stood, going to her potions cabinet, and began mixing.

Soon she walked over to him, handing him a small bottle, "This should help ease the pain as you get used to sensing the magic."

Evard sighed, and nodded, "What do I do with it?"

"Place 3 drops a day on your forehead." Iris instructed, helping him stand. She took the bottle, helping him with the first 3 drops. "There." She kissed his cheek, then led him out of the room.

Evard could feel the headache lessening, he could barely feel it now. Thank the gods for his mother and her abilities. But, he had to wonder why some people seemed to affect his headache more than others. Some groups of girls he walked by, the headache was barely noticeable, while other groups of girls the headache would explode. Did that mean that some girls were mingling and their magic conflicted? Or did that mean perhaps some girls had both kinds of magic somehow? He definitely needed to add this to his list of things to look into. He made his way back to the library and opened one of his journals.

He had a list of each of the remaining Selected, and he jotted down another column next to each of their names, "Type of Magic". He'd need to explore and see what his headaches were telling him about types of magic. He suspected light magic meant a smaller ache, while dark would make him feel fuzzy, as the necklace had. Then both...the pain, the pain was unbearable. He;d wanted to throw up, it hurt so badly.

This was going to be a long, painful exploration.

* * *

**Emma-Grace Peterson, Lakedon**

Emma-Grace had her journals laid out before her. She was planning which colors she wanted to wear what day. Mondays were going to be Green, Tuesdays Purple, Wednesday was Pink - of course- Thursday was Yellow, and Friday was Blue. Saturday and Sunday were still to be determined, she had several colors or patterns to choose from. And of course she'd need a wide variety of hair bows to go with each color.

She glanced up to the girls around the women's room. They were chatting loudly, and laughing even louder. She closed her journals, gathered them up, and strode over to the group, shoving her way through to see on the floor before her- two girls wrestling their big toes like some sort of twisted thumb war.

Girls were cheering, but Emms-Grace's voice carried over, "That's absolutely disgusting!"

The girls stopped, and turned to look at the intruder. Emma-Grace lifted her chin, "In case you've forgotten, we're in the Selection. Try and act like future queens, for the love of the gods."

The girls rolled their eyes but dispersed. Emma-Grace was pretty sure the girls had agreed to a rematch elsewhere, but as long as they weren't doing something so un-regal in the women's room she didn't care.

Didn't they realize at any moment the Queen could walk in? Or Khelben could walk in and ask one of them on a date. They had to be prepared to look and act their best at all times. Then again, what did she care if they got caught? That would just be another girl out of the running for the prince's heart and the throne.

Emma-Grace sighed, she might as well not even bother. She left the women's room, and went out to the gardens. She summoned her familiar, Ellie, and walked beside the small terrier. Ellie had a little pink bow in her hair, and trotted alongside Emma-Grace, the bell jingling on her collar. Emma-Grace smiled, she loved Ellie.

She'd had Ellie since her 16th birthday. Emma-Grace had always known her familiar would be a terrier, and when her parents surprised her with one, it had been the best moment of her Sweet 16. Ellie yipped as a bird flew away from a bush, and Emma-Grace chuckled, if only Ellie knew that the bird was her size.

She heard voices and Emma-Grace peeked around a corner, it was...oh what were their names? She knew one was Maria, but the other...Delpy….Daphne….Delphine! They were talking urgently, and Maria groaned, snapping a twig she was holding. She whispered harshly to Delphine then walked away.

Delphine seemed on the verge of tears, so Emma-Grace waited a moment, then walked over to the girl. Delphine turned away, wiping at her eyes before turning to look at Emma-Grace. "Hi."

"Hi, are you okay?" Emma-Grace asked, tilting her head and picking up Ellie.

Delphine nodded quickly, "Yes, I'm fine. Just- just disappointed a friend I guess."

"Oh." Emma-Grace wasn't sure what to say about that, so she offered Ellie to the girl. "Wanna hold her?"

Delphine seemed surprised, but gently took the dog. "Is she your familiar?"

"Technically, but I like to think of her more as a pet, a companion than strictly business." Emma-Grace answered, smiling. Delphine nodded, and stroked the dog. Ellie was rather stiff in her arms, but Emma-Grace wasn't about to take away the dog now that Delphine seemed to be feeling a bit better.

"Would you like to hang out in my room? We could just talk, gossip, ooh! We could do makeovers! It's always nice to get another redhead's input on hairstyles and makeup colors." Emma-Grace suggested, smiling brightly.

Delphine seemed hesitant, but eventually nodded, "Okay." Emma-Grace clapped excitedly and took Ellie back.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Emma-Grace, Ellie and Delphine made their way back inside to relax until dinner time.

* * *

**Zaylen Duval, Ottaro**

Zaylen sat in the women's room, listening as the girls slowly started interacting with each other. No one was really sure who to trust, if they could trust anyone. Magic was amazing and beautiful, but some people- like her- had dangerous, dark magic. Some could control it, others couldn't. Zaylen just hoped most of these girls had light, easy magic. But from the careful way the girls eyed each other, she wasn't so sure the others were as optimistic.

It was especially dangerous since no one knew how specialized everyone was. What if there were mind readers? Empaths, or what if someone could change others' emotions. Or perhaps something more deadly was hiding among them…

Zaylen didn't realize she was spacing out until her pencil dropped from her hand. It clattered to the marble floor, and all the girls turned to look at her. Some glared, others had their hands already on their wands. Zaylen wanted to curl up and disappear, she definitely didn't want to be the one to push the tension over the edge. She muttered a small "sorry", and the girls turned away again.

Zaylen noticed two girls having the most lively conversation in the room, she overheard the name "Anika", and Zaylen guessed the other had to be Kitri, she'd seen her come back from her first meeting with the prince. Kitri was smiling and laughing at something Anika had said, and she longed to be in on the joke. But she wasn't about to march over to them and interfere.

Zaylen looked back to her journal, she'd filled several pages with information about the plane ride to Angeles, who was on her plane, her makeover, and her meeting with the prince. She sighed, she'd be surprised if the prince kept her longer than a week. Zaylen wasn't exactly someone who stood out, and she knew the other girls were even planning date outfits already.

A knock sounded at the door, and everyone tensed, standing, ready for Prince Khelben to walk in. But it was actually Queen Iris who walked through the door. She had a small, gentle smile on her face, her flowing silver dress billowed behind her. Her hair seemed to match, and Zaylen noticed there wasn't a speck of grey or white to be seen in the Queen's hair.

The girls fell into clumsy curtsies, and Iris nodded. "Hello girls, I'm sure you all know me, but I'm Queen Iris, and I came to get to know each of you. My son already had the pleasure, and while I greeted you, I did not properly get to know each of you. After all, one of you may end up being my daughter in law."

The "may" did not go unnoticed, and the girls shifted uncomfortably. Of course with Evard challenging the throne, none of them knew if this Selection would even mean anything, it might be worthless if Khelben is overthrown.

The Queen started a conversation with a few girls, and Zaylen sat down again, picking up her journal and jotting down that the Queen had come to see them. She was writing for her own sake of course, but also for her, or anyone else to look back on this historical series of events.

After about a half an hour, Zaylen looked up and noticed the Queen standing before her, Zaylen gasped, and slammed the journal shut. Queen Iris spoke, "You have beautiful penmanship."

Zaylen glanced down, clutching the book closely, "Thank you." She murmured, biting at one of her nails.

Queen Iris frowned, "Oh, dear, don't bite at your nails, it's not good for them. Perhaps I could brew up a little something to help you with your nerves."

"Oh...um, no thank you, Your Majesty. It's a very kind offer, though." Zaylen replied, offering a nervous smile.

"Don't think twice about it, dear. I'm here to help. My son may be the one you're supposed to be winning over. But I can help ease any concerns you may have, truly help you be your best selves."

Zaylen's grip on the journal loosened a bit, the Queen had such a calming aura around her. Zaylen had to wonder if the Queen was doing it on purpose, but in this moment, she didn't mind much, the light magic was so nice. So different than the dark she was stuck with. This was everything she'd ever wanted in magic. The Queen nodded to Zaylen, then walked away.

Zaylen quickly opened the journal and began writing about the feeling. If she remembered nothing else from this Selection, she at least wanted to remember what it felt like to have light magic around her.

* * *

**Kitri Romero, Honduragua**

Kitri couldn't say she was surprised when Khelben had asked her on a date. He'd been quite flustered at their first meeting, and she loved that reaction more than anything. The shock in people's eyes at how open she was with her body. Today she was going to wear a black lace "top", but it was more like a bra, and leather pants to match. Black heels to top it all off, and her hair pulled to one side in waves.

Khelben knocked on the door not long after she finished adjusting her hair. Kitri threw on a flirtatious smile and opened the door, "Your Highness."

There was that flustered look again, she felt pride growing in her chest, and she grinned even wider, "You're adorable when you're blushing."

Khelben looked away and cleared his throat, "Lady Kitri, ready for our date?"

Kitri snorted, "Drop the 'Lady', please, I may enjoy the finer things, but not in any sort of elegant way." She winked as she walked past him and down the hall. Khelben was left behind to close the door, and he jogged to meet her down the hall. Kitri was used to wearing heels, and honestly she felt as though she could win a race against the Prince if she took off.

"So, Your Highness, what've you got planned for us today?" Kitri hadn't been told any hints, but she was told she could wear whatever she wanted, so she assumed it wasn't anything tedious.

"I was thinking drinks and lunch." Khelben replied, his voice steady now, she guessed he was slowly getting used to her outfit.

"Drinks? It's not even noon!"

"Is that a bad idea?"

"Not at all." Kitri slowly grinned, a feline-like appearance full of mischief. "I just didn't think the Crown Prince was a day drinker."

Khelben snorted, "Well, it's not a regular occurrence, but I don't mind spoiling myself once in a while."

Kitri chuckled, "Fair enough!"

They reached a small table with two elegant, wire chairs in a secluded corner of the great garden the palace held. Kitri looked around, the hedges were taller than Khelben, and small purple flowers were growing out of the shrubbery. She smiled, then turned as Khelben pulled out a chair for her. She sat, immediately leaning her elbows on the table. Khelben sat across from her, straight as a rod, but eyes watching her more intimately.

"So, Kitri, tell me about yourself, what's your story?" Khelben asked, pulling sandwiches out of a small basket, followed by a bottle of white wine.

Kitri shrugged as her eyes watched him pour the wine into two identical glasses. "Oh, you know, sob story of a trouble maker, got mixed up in the wrong people, did some things, joined a group or two, found a new family, and now I'm here."

Khelben raised a brow and set the wine bottle aside, "I know? Seems pretty interesting." Kitri chuckled, shaking her head, "But something tells me I won't get there until we've had a few drinks and can forget everything we said."

"Oh, you may never get there." Kitri took a glass and swirled it, sniffing it. She didn't usually drink wine, but alcohol was alcohol. She took a sip, and Khelben nodded. "I'm just not much of a "sharer"." She made quotations around the last word.

"Neither am I, but I think we may be talking about different types of sharing…" Khelben replied, not taking his eyes off of hers.

Kitri would have blushed if she wasn't used to receiving this type of look. Instead she smiled, leaning forward. "I'm not one to be tied down, unfortunately."

"Then what are you doing in the Selection?" Khelben asked, the flirtatious tone still there, but also shocked curiosity.

"I have my reasons." Kitri replied, not giving him the answer. How was she supposed to be here to talk to him about the gangs in her home province, and their enemies and how she wants to spread knowledge about the voodoo spreading across neighboring provinces and into her own. It's a threat not only to her and her "family" she'd found in Cuco, but also to everyone else. Voodoo was a dangerous form of dark magic that not even members of Cuco with dark magic would dare touch. It was something that needed stopping, and she was here to do just that.

Khelben sighed, "Well, I suppose we have plenty of time to delve into the deep secrets later. For now, lunch."

Khelben unwrapped his sandwich, and they moved onto conversations that were lighter. Favorite colors, movies, foods, etc. They even discussed Khelben's familiar. When Khelben asked about her familiar she smiled widely. Her baby!

"Dulzie!" She laughed, "A hyena!"

"A- a what?"

"Hyena! You know, like the huge, laughing things in _Lion King_?" Kitri replied, chuckling.

"You're serious?" Compared to an iguana like Khelben had, a hyena was way more impressive.

"Yeah, do you want me to summon her?"

"No, that's okay." Khelben replied a little too quickly. Kitri chuckled, Dulzie was a sweetheart….with Kitri at least. She was sure Dulzie would try and scare off Khelben to protect her owner, so she left her to rest in the familiar world.

Once they'd finished their meal, Khelben walked Kitri back to her room. Kitri hummed to herself as she opened her door. She turned to Khelben, "Stay?" She asked, batting her lashes.

Khelben's eyes widened, "What kind of 'stay'?"

"Anything we want." Kitri replied, smirking.

Khelben seemed very tempted, but he sighed, "I'm afraid I can't. People would talk."

"So?" Kitri asked, "It's a Selection isn't it? You're supposed to find someone you want to be with."

Khelben bit his lip, "I just don't want...certain people finding out."

Kitri pouted, but nodded, "Okayyy. Another time, then." She winked, and shut the door on Khelben before he could react. She smiled to herself, she knew she'd definitely be staying a while. There was no way she could say that and not stay. He had something to look forward to, and she would have pillow talk about voodoo regulations some time soon hopefully.

* * *

**Hello everyone! I've got another OCCW chapter for you! The first date was Kitri Romero! It was certainly fun writing the effect her flirty personality had on Khel. Also, we discovered Evard can sense magic! We'll have to see how he handles it, it's going to take some work to get under control. But I wonder what he'll uncover hehehe. I believe I only have 3 Selected POVs left to do, and then we'd have met everybody!**

**See you in the next chapter~!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Verena "Vera" Clarke, Clermont**

Prince Evard wasn't at dinner, and as confusing as it was, Vera was glad of it. Her divination abilities allowed her to feel the scheming he was planning. Something to do with the magic of the Selected, but she couldn't figure out the specifics. She wanted to avoid him as much as possible, he unsettled her. She could sense he meant well, but it was still odd knowing he was after the knowledge of their magic.

Vera was twisting the ring her mother had sent her, she didn't realize she'd been doing it until someone spoke to her, "Woah, you're going to saw off your finger if you keep twisting that ring."

Vera looked to the girl next to her, "Huh?"

The girl shook her head, "Nothing, what's your name?"

"Vera."

"I'm Lainey." The girl replied, smiling, "From Yukon."

"Clermont." Vera replied, resting her hands in her lap and straightening a bit. "It's nice to meet you. I haven't really had the chance to talk to anyone one on one yet."

Lainey nodded, "Me either, you'd think we'd have more discussions by now, but it's just general group gatherings in different rooms. Like the women's room, oh, and-" she hushed her voice, whispering to Vera, "That Emma-Grace totally ruined the fun earlier. So just be careful what you say or do around her."

Vera hummed, she didn't know what the girl was talking about, but she figured she'd keep an eye out for an Emma-Grace in the future. Vera spoke next, "What about the Prince? Do you think Khelben will have a lot of dates? What if he decides to eliminate before a date?"

Lainey frowned, "I don't think he will. Prince Khelben seems like a good guy to me. He'd at least wait until after a date has already happened."

Vera hoped Lainey was right. Khelben didn't seem to be interacting with the girls much, and he'd been on 2 dates. As far as she could tell, he'd also given the girls almost no warning he wanted to go on a date with them.

Khelben stood at the table, bowed to the girls, and walked out of the room. The girls immediately seemed to deflate, they'd all been hopeful for something, _anything_.

Lainey sighed, "I'm not hungry anyways, wanna head back to the women's room?"

Vera nodded, "Sure. Got nothing better to do."

The girls made their way to the women's room, and they lounged on the sofas inside. A few other girls trickled in and made themselves comfortable across the room. After a while of quiet chatter, one girl spoke up.

"Hey, I've an idea! What about a game of charades?"

The girls looked around the room, and murmured to each other. Soon a small group of girls were gathered, and split into 2 teams. 2 teams of 3. Vera, Lainey, and Zaylen on one team. Cat, Elaine and Cresselia on the other.

Cat's turn was first, as she'd been the one to suggest it, and she began to act out a scenario. The girls began guessing wildly.

"Penguin!"

"Butterfly?"

"Seagull!"

Cat just kept going, giving more hints, waving her arms wildly. She was grimacing at the lack of correct guessing.

Vera ran through a million words in her mind, "Hummingbird?" She guessed, and Cat clapped, nodding.

"Yeah! Let me tell you, waving your arms fast enough to be a hummingbird is really hard." The girls laughed, and Vera stood, it was her turn since she'd guessed correctly.

Vera drew a word from the hat, _Igloo_. Oh come on, how was she supposed to act this out? She tossed aside the paper and walked to the center. She crouched and rubbed her hands up and down her arms, pretending to shiver. Then she pretended to gather 'snow' on the ground and make blocks.

The girls were guessing, "Sand?" "Dirt?" "Build?" Eventually the timer ran out. Vera sighed, "It was igloo."

"What?!" Elaine laughed, "Who came up with these words?"

"I did." Cat replied, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, they're not very good. You can't act out igloo." Vera laughed as Elaine spoke.

"Alright, Elaine, just for that, it's your turn again." Cat teased, pointing to the hat. Elaine stood, rolling her eyes, but shaking with laughter. She picked a word, and the game continued. Vera looked to Lainey who was smiling. This may be another 'group activity', but at least this was a smaller, more intimate group. They were getting to know each other's personalities and sense of humor rather than basic small talk and gossip.

The girls continued on until the sky darkened and they grew tired of acting out words the others were taking forever to guess.

* * *

**Nazca Marcetta, Carolina**

Nazca sat in her room, the candles around her lit, her tarot cards laid out before her. Her black corset seemed to constrict her more than it already was as she felt light-headed. She was sure she was pale. This was not the answer she'd expected to the question. She'd expected an answer like challenge or twisted love, not...this.

A simple 3 card spread.

One question. How would this Selection end?

And the cards had spoken to her, there was no doubt about that. Reversed Death, doom, certainly was on the threshold. The Hanged Man, prophecy, sacrifice, waiting. But something told her _waiting _wasn't what the cards were telling her with that one. And the final card. The Tower. Catastrophe, great change, destruction.

She quickly swiped up the cards and shuffled them, she bit her lip. 3 Major Arcana. That was pretty rare, and surely they might be a little mixed up. Maybe she was too vague-

A card slipped out of the deck, and Nazca's breath hitched. She flipped it over and scowled. The Moon. Self-Delusion, danger. She hated that her cards knew her so well. She swiped them up and put them away, blowing out her candles and leaving the room. She needed to do something, go somewhere to take her mind off of things. Or maybe she should be meditating. She sighed.

She turned around and made her way down the stairs to the large worship hall the palace had. It reminded her of an ancient gothic cathedral with stained glass windows, and she loved it. There were candles everywhere, and although she didn't come to worship any deities, she did pick a small cushion to settle on to meditate. There were 2 other girls there, Maria, and Lilura.

Maria moved over to sit next to her, and Nazca sighed. They'd talked on the plane, but she hadn't been interested.

"So? What do you think?" Maria asked, leaning close to her to whisper.

"I told you, I'm not interested. I'm not making another bond to anyone. Ever." Nazca hissed, "Now I'm trying to meditate. Go find someone else to take part in your plot."

Maria scoffed, "It's hardly a plot. I'm here to make dark magic more acceptable. Don't you want that?"

"Sure. But I want it when people are ready." Nazca replied, glaring at her. "I'm not going to force society to bend to my will. I'll rise above it. And I especially won't join your little _cult_ in doing so."

"It's NOT a-" Lilura shushed Maria, and she lowered her voice, "It's not a cult. And it's your loss. This Selection won't be only for the prince to find a wife."

Maria stood, disappearing in an instant, and Nazca huffed, closing her eyes to focus. Soon Lilura found her way over to Nazca.

"I sense you're well versed in the cards." Nazca hesitated, but replied affirmatively. Lilura was silent for a moment, "This Selection is dangerous. It won't end well. But I suspect they've told you that. I had a vision that confirms that."

Nazca grimaced, her cards were never wrong. And if Lilura was a Seer as well, then she couldn't deny it. Nazca hummed, "So what do we do?"

"Prepare. Keep an eye, or an ear, on people. See who our enemies are. Who they could be. And keep both princes at arm's length. I don't think any of us can risk being closer to one or the other in fear the other uses that as a weapon."

Lilura had a point. Nazca was sure this would be a messy trial, and she couldn't trust anyone here except maybe Lilura. They listened to the higher powers. Yes, Nazca was ambitious and self serving, but she couldn't deny her will wasn't as strong as fate's.

"Maria's definitely one to keep an eye on." Nazca replied, frowning. Lilura only nodded. "Can I trust you?"

Lilura was silent for another moment. "I suppose that's yet to be seen." Then she fell into silence again as she began to meditate. Nazca followed her lead, and while focusing on her energy tried to clear her head.

* * *

Nazca realized not only was Prince Evard missing from dinner, but so was Maria. There were other girls missing too, Alina, Delmira, but she suspected neither were tied up with whatever Maria was doing.

Cresselia was sitting next to her at dinner, and Nazca saw her eyes tracing over every single person.

"What are you doing?" It probably sounded harsher than she thought, because Cresselia flinched, but she turned to Nazca, her eyes flicking to her pinky finger, leading away.

"I'm following soulmate lines."

"Soulmate lines? Like…."

"I can tell who someone was meant to end up with by the string attached to their finger." She nodded to Nazca's hand. "I don't believe you're either one of the princes, but Evard isn't here right now, so who knows…" Nazca grimaced, but nodded.

"Where does yours lead?"

Cresselia sighed, "I can't see my own. I wish I could, but it's the catch with this gift."

"Ah...can you see Khelben's?"

Cresselia nodded, turning to look at the Crown Prince. She bit her lip, "I think they're here somewhere. His string doesn't go off in any other direction, but there's so many strings, they get tangled, off track, take detours….but there's no doubt his One is somewhere in this room."

Nazca looked around, did that mean none of the girls in another room were meant to be with him? Alina, Maria, Delmira...did they care? Would they want to know? "So, what do you do with this power?"

"Well," Cresselia smiled, "I'm a matchmaker. I confirm soulmates in married couples or young couples, or singles come in to get a direction, a path to their one."

"Huh, that's definitely unique. How many people have that gift like you?"

"2 others. An old man in Asia, and a young boy in Africa." Cresselia replied. Nazca was shocked, she didn't know if she expected more or less. But 3 people. In the whole world who held this power. No wonder Cresselia had called it a "gift".

Nazca nodded, then offered a small smile, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find your one. Even if you can't see it."

Cresselia beamed, "You think so?"

Nazca nodded, and Cresselia turned back to her food, her whole self seeming to glow with hope and happiness. Nazca would have to do a love tarot on her later...

* * *

**Delphine Cressida, Columbia**

Delphine was surprised when Khelben asked her on an evening horse ride. She didn't know exactly what had caught his eye, but she was kind of glad she was towards the beginning of the dates since she was rather shy, she didn't have expectations of 20 past dates to live up to. She was wearing riding gear in a nice tan that her maid had brought her. Her hair was being braided, and there was the knock.

The maid scurried over to open the door, and bowed. "She'll be ready in just a moment." The maid seemed conflicted about shutting the door, but Khelben nodded, pulling it shut as he took a step back.

The maid quickly finished Delphine's hair, and shooed her out of the room. Delphine was practically shoved out of the room, and Khelben held out a hand to steady her if needed. Delphine let out a nervous chuckle, and waited for Khelben to start walking. He took off down the hall after a moment, and she followed, patting her hair to be sure it would stay.

When they reached the stables, Khelben walked right over to the stable-hand and spoke quickly as he mounted a pure white horse. The stable-hand walked over to Delphine, "Lady Delphine, I'm here to get you set with a horse."

The man walked on, he couldn't have been much older than her, and if she wasn't in the Selection she may even say he was cute. _Well, you could flirt a little…._Delphine shook her head. No, she wouldn't be flirting while she was in the Selection, and how could she? She didn't even talk to people she didn't know, let alone flirt.

He led her to a gentle looking, pale yellow horse with a black mark up it's muzzle. Delphine smiled softly, gently petting the horse as the stable-hand put on a saddle. "This is Honey, because she's sweet, and good with strangers."

Delphine nodded, and after getting on the horse, she was led to Khelben's side. His horse's name as he said was Cloud Rider.

"Is it because he's white?" Delphine asked.

"...Yes." Khelben replied, chuckling. "I named him when I was 11, don't judge."

Delphine chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm only judging a little." Khelben stuck out his tongue, and set the horse off at a trot. They rode in silence except for a few small starters. It was basic things, and Delphine wondered if she was boring the poor prince.

_So shake things up. _

Delphine cleared her throat, "So, Your Highness, may I ask how long you think this Selection will last?"

Khelben raised a brow, "So eager to leave?"

"No!" Delphine replied, shaking her head, "Just curious."

Khelben smirked, "I was kidding. I'm not sure, honestly. Could be weeks, could be months, it all depends on how I connect with you ladies, and how long I can get Evard to put off his challenge."

_Right, the challenge. _

"So...why exactly does Evard think you're not a good fit?" Delphine asked, her curious, blunt side coming out. Or was it really her? She wasn't sure anymore.

Khelben stiffened, "Well, he thinks he can do better I guess. He doesn't like how passionate I am about things."

"Wouldn't a passionate king be preferred to an idle one?"

"That's what I think. But apparently Evard thinks otherwise." Khelben replied, scowling. "I'd like to see him take on the workload and stay sane."

Delphine tilted her head, "Why don't you let him then?"

"Because he could sabotage me!"

Delphine frowned, "If he wanted to prove he could do things better, he would need something to match up to yours, not make it awful."

Khelben sighed, "He would ruin things, purely to spite me."

"I thought you said you were the passionate one…"

"What are you doing?" Khelben snapped, stopping the horse and turning to her. Delphine stopped her horse, startled.

"I'm not doing anything. I'm simply pointing out what you'd said earlier." She replied, wanting to shrink down and run away.

"You're twisting things. My words, my emotions. What are you some sort of odd empath? A mind controller?" Khelben was glaring at her now, and she felt anger now rising. Oh no..no, no.

"I'm not doing anything." Her voice hissed, as she glared back at him. "You're just insecure in yourself. You don't like that you flip. You're like me. I know you are. At least I have an excuse."

Khelben's eyes widened, and he snapped the reins and the horse took off again. Delphine huffed, and trotted after him. "What, you've got nothing to say? You're passionate, come on tell me something about how you're feeling!"

"I'm feeling angry!" Khelben cried out, he was ahead of her, so she sped up her horse to cut him off. She was sideways, staring hard at him.

"What else? No one ever feels one thing. Humans aren't that simple." Delphine deadpanned.

Khelben seemed to freeze, and Delphine was about to repeat her question before he pulled her towards him for a kiss. He held the back of her head, and she could feel his fingers tangling in her hair. Part of her was shocked and appalled, but the other part, the one in charge, was ready to climb onto his horse with him. The kiss was hot, so hot, and a little rough, but that's what happens when arguments take a turn to passionate intimacy. His other hand wandered to her lower back, holding her tightly.

When they broke apart, Delphine was uneasy. "Did- did we go too far? Am I eliminated? I made you pretty angry." The anger had died by now, and Delphine was glad to be herself again.

"Hell no." Khelben replied, mischief in his eyes. "In fact, if anything this puts you above the others. But don't tell them that." He winked, and moved his horse so they were side by side again.

Delphine blushed, she wasn't normally one to be so...well, scandalous wasn't the right word. But she didn't normally kiss guys like that. She hoped he didn't think this would be a regular occurrence, and there was no way she'd be sleeping with him yet, if ever over the course of this Selection.

They arrived back at the palace, and Khelben got off the horse, handing over the reins to the stable-hand. As Delphine dismounted, Khelben walked over, planting a kiss on her cheek, then her neck….she shied away, handing the reins to the boy before walking up the path to the palace.

Khelben followed quickly, "What's wrong?"

"I just-" she started to undo her braid, fiddling with it. "I don't move that quickly."

"Oh."

"Please don't be upset, I just-"

"I'm not upset. Everyone has their boundaries." Khelben replied, staring down at the path. Delphine nodded, but still felt awkward.

They made it to the front doors, and guards opened them for the pair. Delphine walked to the stairs, then turned to look at Khelben. "Thank you for the ride. And again, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

"It's fine. I'm glad you had fun. I'll see you later." Khelben said, nodding to her. She smiled weakly, then turned and walked up the stairs to her room.

* * *

**Khelben**

Khelben was walking down the hall when Evard found him. Evard had a scowl on his face as he marched up to his brother, "I'm gone for one day, and I hear you eliminated a girl 5 minutes into a date? Really? What kind of jerk does that?"

Khelben had completely forgotten about her, the girl before his date with Delphine. He'd found her incredibly boring, and he regretted the date as soon as it started. Besides, that kiss with Delphine had been occupying his mind since it happened. It was so full of fire, it felt dangerous and seemed to be capable of addicting him to her.

He shrugged, "It's a Selection, if I don't want to keep someone I don't have to."

"That's ridiculous, that's like dumping a girl during Yule because you don't wanna buy her a gift!" Evard scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Listen, this is _my _Selection, I'm not letting you get in my head. I can do what I want." Khelben replied, glaring at his brother.

Evard chuckled, but there was no amusement in the sound, only mocking. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. And I don't think I need to be around you to get into your head, Khel. I know you, I know you thrive off of obsession, good or bad. I know for a fact that what I said will stick with you for a few days."

Khelben shook his head, "No, it won't. But you think you're just like Mom, huh?"

"I'm not, but I can only hope to be as good as her. But you're one to talk, considering you have the same weaknesses as Dad."

Khelben rolled his eyes and shoved past Evard. "Whatever. Don't come near me or my Selected. I don't want you giving them the wrong idea about me."

"You do that all by yourself." Evard called after him. Khelben wanted to stop and give his brother a good jinxing right there, but Evard might choose to make it their fight, and Khelben couldn't risk being caught off guard. So he walked on.

* * *

Khelben was in his father's office before he knew it. Evard had, in fact, gotten to him, and Khelben hated it when that happened. It was like Evard was playing mind games, and Khelben was a rat in a maze, trying to determine the truth from lies.

His father was listening closely, and after Khelben finished ranting, he spoke carefully, "Well, I do agree. You shouldn't lead girls on and then eliminate them. That could make the others wish to leave."

Khelben sighed, "I know, but she was just so…._boring._ There was no way I would have had a future with her."

His father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Yes, that may be. But you couldn't have waited until after the date had finished? It's careless, they'll think you're heartless."

Khelben sighed, "I know, I know. I'll try to be more considerate."

His father leaned back, "Khelben, you've always been more of the passionate one. Playing by emotion rather than thought, and it's both good and bad. Others may not understand your rashness or the reasoning behind it."

Khelben grimaced, this was true. Evard had always been the logical one, and he'd always been the one to act first, think later. They could never see eye to eye, and although Evard may do things differently, Khelben didn't plan on changing. Perhaps he could get the Selected to understand how his mind and heart worked, so when things like sudden eliminations did happen, they wouldn't be so hurt.

He sighed eventually and nodded, "Right." He stood and left, hopefully he could work on communication with the girls more. But for now he was exhausted, and his bed was calling to him from upstairs.

* * *

**Hello everyone! Woahhh another update! I wrote this not long after the last update, guess I've been on an OCCW role lately. Not that I'm complaining loll, so here we have the last 3 Selected, and Khelben, showing more of his colors, but also Evard deciding to poke the bear ehehe. Welp, let me know what you thought! Who are your favorites so far? Any ships yet? Can't wait to dive deeper into some plot with more specific characters now. So, I think eliminations won't happen for a few chapters, but I do have the entire elimination layout already, so, yeah.**

**See you in the next chapter~! (Side note, if you're submitting to BLaST remember the forms are due the 31st-1st of Sept/Oct my side of the world lol)**


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